Feed / Water at night

[SSO202]

I haven't been placing food and water inside the coop at night. The only time they are in there is during dark hours and maybe a couple in the morning. Do they need food and water inside the coop? I put a dish of water in there tonight and am thinking about making a small food trough for inside the coop.

 

[d.k]

*Water, yes-- Food, no. Food is too attractive to pests at night. Mousies, bugs, and so forth.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Mine stays out all night (I have a supposedly mouse proof coop) and I am pretty sure they never touch it.

"they" being the chickies.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I leave both in my BR's tractor at night, but I'm considering taking it out. The food has got to be a predator magnet, especially attractive to racoons. My 9 week old BR's are let out to free range every day. They never return to the tractor for food...just for water. But every night just before going to roost, they pig out on the feed...like they're starving. Silly things...that food's been there all day!

 

[BirdBoy88]

i leave the one in my coop out but the ones that are out side i put up at night.. i have seen a few field mice running around lately

 

[Lobzi]

I do scatter some of the dry food (meals and grains) in the pen area but for the most part I keep bowls of dry food in the coop along with a bowl of water. That way there is never a chance that my penning my chickens up would cause them to go hungry or thirsty. I always worry that something could happen to me while Im away and they are penned that would prevent me from getting home, as planned, to care for them. At least I know they have a couple of days worth of food available.
Bowls of treats (wet corn and cooked beans) I take in at night and bring out fresh in the morning. I would worry that the wet foods' smells might attract predators to the pen and coop at night.
Note my babies do not come down off their roost until dawn so they never eat nor drink at night anyway.

 

[Jennym]

I'm a neat freak, so at night I clean the outside run. I do not leave any food out at night. I fluff up their shavings for them inside the coop and always leave food and water for them inside. Morning time I open the door to the outside run so they may enjoy the treats and a nice clean run.
Then when I get home from work I let them out to range for an hour or two as I am cleaning the coop for them.
Love my chickens:cd