Feed and water where they sleep?

[jwalz]

Ok y'all I've been browsing for a while now and we plan on putting our 4 girls out to in the coop very soon. My question is do we put the feed and water in the 4×4 box where they sleep nest and roost? Or do I leave it out in the main portion of the coop where they will be during the daylight hours

tap'd via mobile device

 

[SunnySkies]

Water IN the coop can contribute to extra humidity in the air and therefore frostbite in cold weather, so I don't often put water in the coop. My hoop coop currently has a waterer in it because I am keeping the flock that lives in that coop in for a few days to retrain the hens to the nest boxes (normally they free range and drink from one of 5 waterers scattered around the place), but it has a lot of ventilation and so the humidity is not affected.

Feed...some people don't put it inside so rodents are not tempted into the coop (although a hen can and will eat a mouse if she catches it) and others do put feed in the coop. I keep my feeders where the feed will be kept dry but in a central location for all birds to access, so wherever protection from the weather might be somewhere to consider more so than whether or not it is in the coop. It's totally annoying to fill the feeder at bedtime and wake up at 5am to realize breakfast is now soggy...

 

[jwalz]

Excellent thank you for the explanation behind the answer ... Makes complete sense after you have said it umbup:

tap'd via mobile device

 

[petrel]

I keep feed and water in the coop and the run at all times. I want them to have access to both, anytime they feel the urge. Plus it may prevent a little picking if they have the feed and water to occupy themselves while preparing to roost or waiting to be let out.

 

[Chicken Happy]

I keep the water in the coop and the feed outside. Keeps the rodent population less interested in the coop and the h20 does not freeze as rapidly in the coop.

 

[Going Quackers]

We have both here depends on the coop, i have never had problems with frost bite due to it either? i think it's a depends on your setup, my big hens have no run, they free range so yes, it's in their coop otherwise they go eat with the ducks lol

The one silkie flock(their are 3) has it in the coop as the run is only small for winter at the moment and feed would ruin out there. Again, it's all variables.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I agree it depends on your setup. With my 4X4 coop and 6-8 birds that I have it's only for roosting and walking through to nest box. Feed and water are outside in run. Plus there is no fear of fire when running heated water fountain in winter.

 

[SunnySkies]

Something else to think about is space. A 4x4 coop with 4 hens...a typical waterer and feeder will be filled with litter very quickly.

 

[DelcoChix]

I used to keep my feed and waterers in the runs (I have two separate set-ups-bantam and LF) until the wild birds cleaned out the large feeder every day. I moved them inside and it's been fine since. I do have a bit more room though for my birds, but no shavings (now using sand) in feed or water because I have the feeder hanging and the waterer is on bricks about 8" off the floor.
And I agree, when they're going to bed early in the winter I likehaving the feed and water in there to keep them busy, along with a FlockBlock. Humidity has never been an issue, I have good ventilation....