Feed & Water - Inside or Outside

[quietlyscheming]

I realize this is probably a newbie (total new guy here) question but I can't seem to find any references.

Is there a preferred location to provide feed and water? Does it matter?

I was actually going to set up my feed and water inside the coop but I see lots of folks provide it outside. Do you do both or will they simply go to where the food and is? My main concern with providing feed and water outside is all the various pests it may attract (mice, rats, squirrels).

Am I being overly obsessive?

 

[gryeyes]

Only at least forty bazillion other folks have worried about the same thing, so, no - you are not being overly obsessive.

I have water outside and inside, all the time, but I have a garage-sized coop. Food is only in the coop; I want them coming only
to two places to get food from me, in the coop for feed, and one specific spot outside for treats.

 

[Rosaleen]

Presently I have food and water in the coop and outside in the run. The run is locked up after the girls come in. Over the summer, they would mostly stay out in the run overnight, but now that are nights are getting colder, they go directly into the coop. I will start keeping the food and water in the coop only, once winter arrives. I'll be wrapping the run with clear plastic as an added barrier to keep wind and snow out of the run so they can still use the run this winter. The coop is inside a barn so I will be able to access it more easily once the heavy snows arrive.

 

[nivtup]

We do feed inside, water outside.

 

[LiLRedCV]

We have feed inside - with treats tossed in one area of the yard about mid-afternoon - and water for both inside and outside. Since I have a bunch of new gals in my flock (25 new spring 2011 chicks) and they got used to our nice weather and stayed outside most of the time, I started closing off the coop by about 3pm and opened it back up at 6pm so they'd be good and hungry and would run right in for me to close them up. I don't always get out at a consistent time to open things back up, so the waters inside to keep them from becoming possibly dehydrated. Also, during the winter months, if you have a water source inside, there might be a less likely chance for it to freeze and/or the girls may not want to go outside due to inclement weather.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
X2 Ditto and they way to go, water inside tends to be a messy affair, while keeping feed inside preserves it's freshness and protects it from the elements.

 

[gale65]

Right now we feed and water inside, with an auto feeder (vermin proof) outside. But the auto feeder doesn't always work right. I'm planning to add outside water but will probably keep water inside at least in the winter (to use with a heater) and in the summer (since there are days the chickens aren't let out until 8 am or 8:30 sometimes).

 

[fargosmom]

Our feed and water are out in the run, since the girls are only inside to lay or sleep. Our run is totally enclosed and roofed, so the food is protected from the elements (it's not hard to put some sort of cover over any feeding station). If you're concerned about vermin you could move the feeder inside at night (into your garage, or some other rodent-free storage). Last year I did have mice in my run so I started taking the feeders out at night and putting them back in the morning. It's an extra bit of work but the only way to completely be sure no freeloaders are enjoying midnight snacks.

 

[Patricia Jane]

Food inside, and waterers outside.

 

[KDK1]

I have their pellets inside along with an automatic waterer in their "Florida Room" (three wire walls and a wire floor). Also a homemade automatic waterer in the run and where treats are served every evening.