Feed inside coop or not??

[msh21153]

Ok, I'm confused. I am new to this chicken endeavor and really excited about it. I am the type that really reaches and studies a project before I commit. We are nearly finished with the coop and run, just finishing placement of nest, roost, etc inside of the coop. I have read conflicting info about keeping feed and water inside the coop. One place said never keep it inside, it helps keep everything cleaner, then yesterday on one of the forum feeds here, it said have feed and water inside the coop. HELP, what do I do? Need all the advise I can get. I know there needs to be food and water outside in the run, just confused about inside. Thanks for any help

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Well I keep the water outside and the food inside. My reason for that is the mice and rats can't get to the food as easily. And I keep water outside because it spill a lot and rots the floor boards and makes the sawdust into mud when its inside. It is up to you whether to have food and water inside or outside, but that is how I do it. It really doesn't matter where the food is if the chickens can get to it easily.

Hope that helps you, good luck!

 

[Eggcessive]

It is all up to you and your practices. If it is a tiny coop, and they get let out at sunrise, you can leave it outside. If it is a large coop, and there is room, mine like to eat and drink as soon as they are up in the mornings, and have a snack before hitting the roost. if rodents are a problem at night inside the coop, keep the food up. But you can't expect to be late letting them out in mornings without leaving them food and water, or at least water. Everyone does it differently. I like to have it both inside and out, and I always make sure there are two or each since some get bullied away by the older birds.

 

[foreverlearning]

I keep mine inside with extra water outside as well. I let mine free range during the day and have plenty of water in all their areas and still see them go inside for a snack every now and then. I have found out threw trial and error that I like both my food and water hanging low on the wall, they seem to make less of a mess that way. If you hang yours like I have mine make sure there is room between them so the girls have access to the other one while someone is using one. Every one likes it their own way, this is just how I like it. When I started I read all the posts and tried a lot of suggestions, some just weren't right for what I wanted. After you decide where you need to decide what, the girls make a mess with water no matter what. I tried the nipples and thought they splashed too much for me where as some people love them. I tried the on the floor and hanging in the center of the coop water/feed and thought on the floor got too much bedding tracked in the containers, and the hanging ones took up too much space. It is really trial and error for every one, try one way and if you don't like it remember why and move on to the next.
Good Luck!

 

[AK Baha]

I live in Alaska so I keep it inside in the winter and covered outside in the summer.

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I keep mine inside with extra water outside as well. I let mine free range during the day and have plenty of water in all their areas and still see them go inside for a snack every now and then. I have found out threw trial and error that I like both my food and water hanging low on the wall, they seem to make less of a mess that way. If you hang yours like I have mine make sure there is room between them so the girls have access to the other one while someone is using one. Every one likes it their own way, this is just how I like it. When I started I read all the posts and tried a lot of suggestions, some just weren't right for what I wanted. After you decide where you need to decide what, the girls make a mess with water no matter what. I tried the nipples and thought they splashed too much for me where as some people love them. I tried the on the floor and hanging in the center of the coop water/feed and thought on the floor got too much bedding tracked in the containers, and the hanging ones took up too much space. It is really trial and error for every one, try one way and if you don't like it remember why and move on to the next.
Good Luck!

Oh right, I forgot the

 

[Rich386]

I have food and water in the coop they go out in the morning but the coop is left open. They come and go all day. To keep things as easy as possible I have a feeder that holds 50lbs of feed. I also have an auto fill water system with horizontal watering nipples. The nipples don't leak so it doesn't get sloppy.

 

[Rich386]

I have food and water in the coop they go out in the morning but the coop is left open. They come and go all day. To keep things as easy as possible I have a feeder that holds 50lbs of feed. I also have an auto fill water system with horizontal watering nipples. The nipples don't leak so it doesn't get sloppy.

 

[foreverlearning]

I have food and water in the coop they go out in the morning but the coop is left open. They come and go all day. To keep things as easy as possible I have a feeder that holds 50lbs of feed. I also have an auto fill water system with horizontal watering nipples. The nipples don't leak so it doesn't get sloppy.

I haven't seen those before, something to look into for my meat birds... I had the vertical ones that have the pin and ball, they would bite and shake and water would sprinkle everywhere. After a few days they just started to leak at the pin itself. Do they screw in or do you have something holding them in? What are they for pressurized or non pressurized?

 

[Sophia5]

Well I keep the water outside and the food inside. My reason for that is the mice and rats can't get to the food as easily. And I keep water outside because it spill a lot and rots the floor boards and makes the sawdust into mud when its inside. It is up to you whether to have food and water inside or outside, but that is how I do it. It really doesn't matter where the food is if the chickens can get to it easily.

Hope that helps you, good luck!

I would do the same with my chickens.