Feed availability

ladyhand

Songster
May 27, 2021
155
305
141
Greensboro, NC
I’m looking at treadle feeders to try to reduce any mice issues in the coop. Some of what I’m reading is talking about how they’re waterproof and will keep out rain, do you not keep the feeder in the coop? If they can forage during the day in a run and are given various produce, can the feed stay in the coop if they have access to the coop during the day? How much feed will they eat over foraging, etc? Similarly, do you keep water in the run or in the coop?
 
I'd start with it outside, water too. Save the floor space and more poops outside. Move it inside if the weather keeps them in (snow) or the feed deteriorates or gets moldy from excess heat. I find my chickens eat about 50%, roughly 2 oz/day, when there is plenty to forage on.
 
Here the feeders and waterers are all under the roof, so rain and snow aren't a problem. Having any feed outside of the coop and safe run invites unwanted critters, especially at night. Raccoons and opossums, not to mention bears, are not your friends! Or rodents...
And treadle feeders are only useful with standard sized chickens, youngsters and bantams aren't heavy enough to use them.
Mary
 
I prefer to keep feed and water outside the coop, using a shelter in the run to keep them dry.

Some of that preference is a space issue with my current coop, some is for my convenience refilling things, and some is due to my desire that the chickens get out of the coop and spend most of their time in the run.

I have never had a pest issue, which could be good fortune. :)
 
Something I recently observed.....

Back story...I had always kept feed in the coop not the run, mostly to keep it dry. It's been that way over a decade keeping birds at this place. Recently I merged 2 flocks of 8 birds both containing bossy members. For the first time ever I put a feeder for dry food in the run. both the indoor feeder and the one in the run had the same amount of feed in them. I am seeing the one in the run depleting far faster than the one in the coop.

Maybe they like it better there.

I lift the feeders at night so it's not mice.
 
I have five feeders and four waterers, all in different locations in the coop and covered run. They are definitely used at different rates! I rotate the feeders as they get topped off, so the feed is eaten at about the same rate overall, and one feeder doesn't ever have old feed in it.
Location, location, location!
Mary
 
I remove all feed dishes at the end of each day to discourage mice and other varmints. I feed everyone outside, as I have protected areas for them, but even if it were inside, I would remove nightly to prevent mice.
Water outside too, in big dog bowls and nipple buckets as well.
 

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