Feed inside coop or not??

[rancher hicks]

I don't have near that big a set up to warrant such effort for water. It sounds nice though.

 

[CRPerryJr]

I keep the chicken's feed hanging in a feeder inside the coop, and have 2 waters, one inside, and one outside. I will throw leftover salad and fruit out to them in the yard, but I make sure they eat it all before they go in at night. I also clean out the inside of the coop bi-weekly, making sure all old food left on the floor of the coop is cleaned up and discarded. So far this has worked very well for me. No pests inside the coop, and no smells.

 

[Biologrady]

I thought Our Roost had an excellent point...when they're young and when it's cold you'll have to put the food where the chickens are...their first winter, our girls chose to stay in most of the time, so we fed and watered in there. In summer we keep everything outside, since they have long days. If you keep your coop dry and your waterer elevated and spill-proof, it will be ok for them to feed in there. Our girls seem to pig out right before bedtime, so I'm not worried if they wait all night to eat, but when it's cold I like to have the insurance of extra calories available.

 

[mrballance]

I have water inside the coop, but I have it elevated so they don't throw bedding in it. I have feed inside also, But have it hanging so they don't dig in it and make a mess. I like it inside the coop that is where the feed barrel is at. I don't have a problem with rodents or wild birds eating the feed. I have a pop door that closes and opens at a certain time, love it. Pullet shut door is the brand. Hens just started laying at 21 weeks. Have fun I am !!

 

[The Mother Hen]

I keep the feed outside their sleeping pen, and instead I have it under the grape arbor. I know not everyone has an arbor but maybe place the feed and water under a tree? I live in the Westerns States, so it gets really hot here, and I keep most of the coop open with a high fence.

 

[twehe]

I feel like others that I keep the food inside the coop at night but understand I have a coop that has a automatic door and helps keep the predators away from the chickens at night so even if a raccoon gets interested by the smell, they can't get to the feed or the chickens.

 

[Twinklin]

I have food and water outside during the day and water only inside at night in case they want it before 8am when I let them out. We leave the door from the run into the coop open all day and I didn't want any critters going in to look for food. We do have roof rats we're trying to get rid of who eat the spilled food in the run but I'd rather them stay outside. I use a dish bucket for water and I change it twice a day and move it in and out when needed. We have a PVC feeder in the run.

 

[hollys chooks]

I just like posting this cos I built it. It does solve my chook feeding problems as it stops the wild birds stealing the feed, and it is less messy.
Here is the link for info on how to build it https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/building-a-treadle-chicken-feeder

Whatever you decide to do there will likely be some problem, that's the way having chickens is. Then you'll have a look on Backyard Chickens cos someone else has probably already come up with a way of solving it.

 

[Biologrady]

That's brilliant!

 

[roheryn]

I have a small coop with only 2 hens (soon to be three) and I keep my feed inside in a hanging bin, and the 2 gallon waterer outside (elevated on bricks). We have a small prefab coop/run with the coop elevated above the run. They go out to an enclosed larger run, and have a half acre open space to play in. Recently the hens have started laying, and now they are tossing the pellets all over the floor of the small inside run. I clean out the run and coop every week, but this is really messy. Do they just want to scratch and eat? I don't want them eating where they drop, that is just a recipe for disaster I think.