Do they need food and water inside coop?

[RitzHomestead]

I am looking into making a auto waterer and feeder for my run, but was curious if I let them into the run everyday all day do they need food and water in the coop where they sleep?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They don't need food and water at night but I keep food in every coop so they can get a bite when they wake up in the morning before they get turned out. Keeping it in the coop also keeps the wild birds from eating it.
Water is a bit different. I don't like to keep open water in the coop to cut down on humidity but I do have some buildings with nipple waterers piped through.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I keep food in my coops, but not water. All water is in the runs. I've kept drinkers in the coop in the past, and at some point or another, they always end up getting knocked over and soaking the bedding. So, I just don't keep it in there anymore. No feed in the run, though. I don't want it to get wet (since none of my runs are covered), and as previously posted, I also don't want to be feeding our local wild bird and squirrel populations

 

[song of joy]

If you have food and water in the run, you don't need either in the coop unless the chickens aren't let out of the coop fairly early in the morning to have access to the food and water.

Some pros of having food and water exclusively in the run: 1) spilled food and water don't end up in the coop, where they should have to be cleaned up, and 2) water doesn't add to coop humidity (especially in winter when frostbite is a risk).

Some cons of having food and water in the run: 1) wild birds may attempt to access food in the run unless it is designed to exclude them, 2) food needs to be secured (e.g., brought in the house) every night to keep rodents from eating and contaminating the food with their droppings, and 3) food needs to be protected from snow and rain so it doesn't get wet and spoil.