Feed and Water Inside or Out, Dogs and Ladder Doors

[fxchick]

Hello All, I'm new to the forum so I hope I'm not asking a tired old question or asking it in the wrong place.
It's been about 11 years since I've had my own birds. Back in Colorado I had about 50 chickens (all breeds) and turkeys and a few happy geese. They didn't have a very fancy house -- kind of a leanto next to my garage but lots of room to wander and some fence posts and trees the turkeys liked to roost in.

Well I am finally starting on our hen house on Monday. I figure where I live now I can only have 3 or 4 girls at the most so I building them a pretty little hen house and a small attached run for when I can't be in the yard with them (or at least until I can get a handle on introducing them to the dogs -- any help there would be GREATLY appreciated).

Anyway in the old days all the feed and water was out in the yard in covered feeders. I see quite a few pictures on the forum of feeders inside the hen house. What does everyone think is best?

Right now I am thinking our house will be about 3 1/3 x 4 on 3 ft raised legs and the attached run about 4 x 5 x 4

While I am on the subject, does anyone have a raised house with the ladder coming out from the floor of the hous einstead of the side. I've been thinking about trying that but I can't quite work out how to do it and how much room to leave.

Sorry to be so wordy first time out -- thanks posters

 

[kstaven]

People put the waterers in the coop to keep pests out of them and to not attract unwanted guests. Also do it because they are locking chickens in the coop at night. Those are the most common reasons.

You can put your ladder out the bottom but you lose a lot of coop space because of cutting such a large hole to give head clearance while climbing the ladder.

 

[Poison Ivy]

Here is the link to see how other member's coops look like.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=64

 

[fxchick]

Thanks for the info gang -- we start cutting wood today and I've made a few revisions to my plan already

 

[dangerouschicken]

I have food inside the coop and waterer outside in the run, but the whole thing is enclosed with 1/2" hardware cloth, sort of like a giant rabbit cage. So far, no complaints

 

[fxchick]

I think that's where I'm gonna land -- seems like a good plan, thanks