Feed and Water in BOTH

[NewChickener784]

Do I need to have food and water in both my coop and the run, if they are going to be allowed outside all day, everyday, with access to food and water in the run?



I plan to have a hanging feeder and waterer in the run, but was wondering if I should have smaller feeders and waterers in the coop when I shut them in at night?


I have 8 chickens.

 

[Grub Digger]

It's probably not necessary to have feed and water in the coop, they do not get up in the middle of the night to eat or drink, and it might attract predators. As long as you let them out at or around dawn, you should be good.

 

[Legbone]

Yeah, our feed and water buckets are kept outside as well. Year 'round...

 

[Pork Pie]

It's probably not necessary to have feed and water in the coop, they do not get up in the middle of the night to eat or drink, and it might attract predators. As long as you let them out at or around dawn, you should be good.

Agreed with an emphasis no the last sentence!

CT

 

[member 373180]

I agree and this is how I started.
But then I realized that some days they were up and crashing around before I could get up there to let them out and on really bad winter days they liked to just stay inside. So now I have inside the coop a 2gal bucket of water with horizontal nipples (no drippy mess) and a slim pvc pipe feeder wired in the corner (very little footprint). This tides them over and makes me feel a lot less guilty if I sleep in until 7 on Saturdays. Most of the food and water is still outside.

 

[DreamsInPink]

Won't food left in the run attract predators as well?

 

[Pork Pie]

Won't food left in the run attract predators as well?

If you have a run, then that should be protected from predators I'd hope? If its a concern, theres no reason not to put the food in a secure location overnight.

CT

 

[DreamsInPink]

If you have a run, then that should be protected from predators I'd hope? If its a concern, theres no reason not to put the food in a secure location overnight.

CT

It will not be covered no.. at least not in the beginning. It will be a day run only.. and actually, maybe I should just refer to it as a fenced in free range area. It's going to be quite large... like 75' X 200'. We are however going to be doing a much smaller area that will be covered at some point this summer. But even so, if it was in an area protected from predators, why not just leave it in the coop? I've seen some prefer to keep it outside, so it doesn't encourage predators to go inside the coop. My coop is going to be much more strongly fortified than any run I could build.

 

[Pork Pie]

Leaving food in the coop may increase the chances of vermin setting up home there. I have four feeding stations in my garden and I leave them in situ 24 hours a day without issue. Guess you should simply choose what works best for you - there are very few rules when it comes to keeping chickens.

CT

 

[beccaisfirst]

I had such a question as this!! my daughter ha 18 hens in a 8x10 enclosed coop with outdoor run, they also free range....they opted for wind and weather and vermin etc to hang a waterer, from ceiling with chain to hen level...nipples...and did the pvc self feeder set up inside enclosed coop...the bucket with pvc inserts for feeding and found they were able to fill thier container with the full 50lbs feed via pvc line out side of coop filling it with funnel and capping off after the fill...she found this to be less food loss less water mess and less predator vermin issue....since my coop is not totally enclosed...she lives in oh and gets plenty of wind etc hence full enclosed coop with venting etc....huge run with closure...and due to our montana winds etc advised us to wall up coop but make sure ventilated hang the feed and water in the lower section after we secure a wall for that particular area with entry door in/out for when we release them from roost in am....my hens are ready to get out there....the coop just isn't quite done yet I have one more week to get it usuable or these girls are gonna get too antsy...trying to acclimate them to the outside by taking brooder w/o heat outside to at least start working on getting them in the coop to figure it out...the heat lamp goes in tonight as well as the wall for lower section
with entry for food/water .....just frustrated with the stupid coop that dh bought ....waste of money...so off i go to get bucket pvc and water nipples and container....
good luck with your chicks...my six are now a major investment....im sure well worth it for future but right now....arrrgh!!!