Feed/Water inside or out?

Nanblues

In the Brooder
8 Years
Aug 9, 2011
12
0
22
Very new to all this, in fact my coop and run are still being put together. I have a 4X6 coop with 6 nesting boxes. My run is an old 22X12 greenhouse (all glass removed). My question is from what I have been reading, an age old question. Should I have the feeder hanging in the coop or out in the run? The same question for the water. From what I have read, they do not eat at night or when returning to the coop in the evening. I will be screening in the old greenhouse frame, the frame of the greenhouse sits on a three concrete block foundation with a footer so I am not too concerned about "others" getting in at night to get at the food. I can always put the feeder away for the night. So the bottom line is, leave the food outside with nothing offered in the coop? The same question for the birds water as well.

Thanks for your help with this!!

Pete
 
For the time being I've been keeping my chicks inside and bring their food and water out when I put them in their run for the day. Once their coop is finished I still think I'll put both outside and get an extra waterer for inside (eventually both, but I'm gonna get the waterer first). I've noticed that they seem to drink way more when they're outside so I figured I wouldn't be wasting anything if I put one in both the outside and inside.
 
I keep it outside unless weather permits me otherwise. I put it in their feeders and throw it on the ground since that is their natural way to eat and it always ends up on the ground anyway from them scratching the feeder lol. And I have waterers EVERYWHERE, especially with how hot it has been here. I have feed pans that I use for waterers, they like to stand in it and drink. I put all of the waterers outside except for one.
 
Hi! I used to have no water inside and feed both in and out...until last winter (my first with chickens). We had snow and the chickens would NOT walk across the snow to get to their water, about a foot away from the pop door! I had to shovel a path for them to the water. Then they all ran over and drank. I felt really bad and now I have both food and water inside as well as outside!
 
Quote:
lol we basically said the same thing....great post
smile.png
 
Yup, I have two of each in the attached run to my coop and one of each on the insdie of the coop. I bring in all the food out in the run in everynight. We have a major rat problem.
sickbyc.gif
 
Mine tend to wander into the coop an hour or two before sunset, and definitely do some eating and drinking then. (They don't eat after dark, that's true.) I've always kept mine in the coop. I never wanted them to have to wait if they got up before I did. It's more convenient for my setup, too, though, to have the feed in the coop.
 
Right now we have a pvc feeder in the coop and a bucket auto feeder in the run-even if it rains the bucket feeder keeps the feed dry. We only have water in the coop right now but I'm planning to eventually have it outside too.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom