Feed left in run overnight?

[Carpe DiHen]

Do you leave feed in your run overnight, after you lock your chickens in a coop?

If so, do you have a problem with rodents becasue of that?

...do I have to pick up or move my feed every day/night???

 

[phaethona]

I would strongly recommend NOT leaving any food of any sort out overnight. rodents are very slick about getting through just about any confinement to find food. and they're fairly habitual, they'll keep coming back until there's nothing for them to eat.

The way my coop is set up, the girls can go in and out of the coop for food and water whenever they want when they're inside the run. I have two flocks, one free ranges all day, and one that stays in the coop/run(they're younger). So since I have to keep the run door closed all the time, I leave a waterer outside for the big girls, and their food during the day is bugs and grass. soon I will be able to leave the run door propped open all day and they'll all come and go as they please during daylight hours.

 

[gryeyes]

My feeders are in the coops. I do have a little tiny trough (about six inches long - cute, found it at the dollar store!) in the run area into which I put feed for the ducks, but it's never got anything left in it at night.

Waterers are outside, food inside.

 

[Tecalli]

I lock my girls up at night in their coop with their food. During the day their food hangs outside in their run but at bedtime I take it in to prevent rodents from getting at it.

 

[Carpe DiHen]

Quote:
I my heart I knew that is what I should do...but I was hoping to hear different..

Tecalli, your black shepherd is gorgeous! I've always loved them. You have a funny pair like me.

 

[Frza]

crud, I was hoping to reading something here that would allow me to stop dragging the feed into the coop every night. Oh well. Gotta do what ya gotta do.

 

[Cynthia12]

I have food in the coop, and have it outdoors in the day..but I have two containers. As far as rodents go..chickens are great mousers, I don't worry about anything else getting in there, too tightly built for big critters that come along. And, don't forget to have water in the coop for them, always! I also have that in and out doors.

 

[Debob]

I leave the food in the coop all the time, they come and go all during the day. Water in coop and outside in their run. No food left out for any visters.

 

[Chickaholic]

I made the mistake of leaving my bag feed outside once

and it rained and the next day "something" ripped the bottom of the bag (during the night) and all the now wet feed was all over the ground wasted!!

Never again, I now have a very large feeder inside of the coop and the girls (and boys) have access to it whenever they want and I just throw treats out for them and they usually gobble it all up so there is nothing on the ground out side to tempt that "something" again !

 

[nancypo]

I store my main food in an airtight metal feed bin, the daytime feeder is locked in the run.