Feed and water in pen/coop

[D-Bar-B]

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens!! We've had chickens since September 2018. I was gifted 6 hens that were already laying, but now also have 7 six week old pullets. They are definitely a lot of fun!

We use the waterer and feeder from TSC and haven't had any issues. I have a shepherd's hook in the run that holds 2 waterers on bungee cords. The feeder used to hang from a shepherd's hook until hubby built a cover for me. There's a hook underneath that the feeder hangs from.

It's definitely personal preference. The feeders do leave a lot of waste on the ground, but my girls eat a lot of it off the ground too...as do the wild birds, but I haven't had any other pests getting into our yard/run.


Good luck as you determine what best works for you and your chickens!

 

[Acre4Me]

I recently built a feeder into the wall of the pen. Minimal food loss and easy to refill from outside the pen. As for the waterer, drinking nipples on a PVC pipe attached to hose and a 5 gallon bucket with lid outside of the coop. Easy to fill with a hose.View attachment 1792820

Nice idea to be able to fill it from outside the pen, and for it to not take up so much space! Only comment is that rodent can chew into it since it is wood. However, util that happens (if ever), then just inspect the edges, corners, bottom every so often to see if any rodents are attempting access.

 

[Acre4Me]

This is what I use. The most basic of basic. The dog leashes are hung from the rafters with the clip part down (the part that hooks to the dog collar/harness). I put the handle in that. At night, I unclip them and carry the feeders indoors. Easy peasy.
View attachment 1791220
(Photo from TSC website)

My birds still spill a lot, mind you, but it doesn't seem to cause a problem. They peck up most of it, or my dog eats it, or it gets mixed into the deep litter. If you really want rat-proof, I think your best bet are treadle feeders. FWIW, I was super worried about rats, but I've not had a *noticeable* problem. I'm sure they visit because they are so ubiquitous, but I have yet to see evidence of rat activity.

ETA: I realize now you were probably asking about my PVC feeders. I scrapped those for these months ago. They were those vertical ones with the 3ft extension inserted into a y-connector. Here's a pic from the web:
(Pic from Etsy)

We use this feeder too, and I'm surprised that it isn't messy. I was hesitant that they would bill out too much, but not really an issue. We hang ours from a chain and hook, but the dog leash is a really excellent idea too! We take ours inside at night. However, it would also fit inside a metal trashcan for overnight storage in the run if needed - in fact two of these could easily fit into a metal trashcan.

 

[ChickenFatHead]

Nice idea to be able to fill it from outside the pen, and for it to not take up so much space! Only comment is that rodent can chew into it since it is wood. However, util that happens (if ever), then just inspect the edges, corners, bottom every so often to see if any rodents are attempting access.

I'll consider maybe changing the exterior door to a metal one if I start seeing nibbles. Thank you for the advice and constructive criticism