Feed & Water in Coop Sleep Zone?

[Melbournes East]

My 6 week old chicks are getting close to moving to the coop. It has a run and a sleep section. I'm reading mixed thoughts on whether food and water should be available in the sleep section as well as the run.

Do you provide your chooks food and water overnight?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I provide food during all daylight hours. They do not eat in the dark. If I am running a light on chicks I keep food and water available 24-7.

I pick up the feeders at night to keep rodents out in my adult flocks. I keep water in the run not the house to help keep things dry.

 

[Melbournes East]

I provide food during all daylight hours. They do not eat in the dark. If I am running a light on chicks I keep food and water available 24-7.

I pick up the feeders at night to keep rodents out in my adult flocks. I keep water in the run not the house to help keep things dry.

Thank you! My coop is supposed to be rodent free... but we'll see!! With the heat lamp on these chicks are still munching through the night, but in a couple of weeks that will be off too. Quite cold in Melbourne at the moment.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you! My coop is supposed to be rodent free... but we'll see!! With the heat lamp on these chicks are still munching through the night, but in a couple of weeks that will be off too. Quite cold in Melbourne at the moment.

While they are on the heat lamp keep that food available. They are growing fast right now. Once they are on a normal dark (day/night) schedule they will be sleeping when it is dark.

You are heading into spring!

We will be getting snow before long here.

 

[Peppercorngal]

I agree, while the chicks are using a heat lamp you need to provide food and water all the time. Once they don't need the light anymore and they are moved to a coop and run setup, I would NOT put feed or water in the coop. It attracts more than just mice and you want your coop to be a safe place for your chickens. I put the food and water in the runs only. Chickens don't eat at night when mature, so they don't need it in the coop anyway!

 

[KarynVA]

We have food and water inside the coop but not because they would use it overnight; we do it to avoid predators trying to get the food if it is outside. We use horizontal nipple waterer and a porthole feeder so there is no spillage of either. When they are in the run, we put water for them there and they get food scraps and forage.