Feeding and watering

[Horsedoglover]

I live in Colorado so the summers are 100 degrees are more and the winters get below 0. I am gone sometimes for five days at a time and need a way to feed and water chickens. I have not yet gotten chickens but I want two Buff Orpingtons and two Barred rocks. The coop im planning on getting is in the link below. I live near a park so I am debating adding an automatic door. Is there any chicken feeders/waters that would fit my coop and be good enough for five days six for cushion?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Costway-...6030&wl11=online&wl12=258824383&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[SueT]

For non winter, I love the nipple buckets....inexpensive, easy to make, and the water never gets dirty. But for freezing weather I use a heated pet bowl.
For feed, I use hanging feeders, they should be able to hold 5 days of feed for 4 birds....

 

[Chickiemom25]

i cant find anything which says how many chickens it holds but it seems 4 large breed birds would be a very tight fit especially if not free ranging, IT doesnt appear to haave a whole lot of ventilation and depending where you put it your girls might now get much shade. if you can hook up a waterer to a hose there are some that would fit. The whole unit just seems small for 5 days of confinement.

 

[Horsedoglover]

I could downsize to 3 or maybe 2 as I want everything prepeared so no chickens yet. For my climate which bird should I have two of?

 

[SueT]

Bantams would be a better fit for that coop...however whatever size, 5 days unattended is kind of scary....So much could happen, they really need to be checked daily... And eggs collected. And a small coop would get very poopy and stinky if not cleaned out every day or two.

 

[Chickiemom25]

I could downsize to 3 or maybe 2 as I want everything prepeared so no chickens yet. For my climate which bird should I have two of?

chickens being social creatures, I try never to go below . If one dies, the chicken math begins as you cant raise one chick, you need to have 2 and so the math will go.

 

[Horsedoglover]

Bantams would be a better fit for that coop...however whatever size, 5 days unattended is kind of scary....So much could happen, they really need to be checked daily... And eggs collected. And a small coop would get very poopy and stinky if not cleaned out every day or two.

I have someone to take care of my dogs but they are afraid of chickens. They should be able to collect eggs and make sure they are ok. I am already looking at bigger coops.

 

[blackdog043]

For the waterer, I would make a 5 gallon, with horizontal nipples(Amazon for nipples) In the winter you can put a birdbath heater in it, so it will not freeze and still work. I have the same set up(no heater yet) with 8 hens and the water will last 2 weeks, if I don't add any. The water stays clean, unlike the standard waterers, where they can kick up bedding or dirt and get in the water tray.

For a feeder, I made a 5 gallon no waste feeder. It's not hard to make, but you will need a 3 inch hole saw, to make it. The feed will last at least 2 weeks for me. Nothing gets scratched out and it stays clean. You could also buy a 15 lb hanging feeder, you might get some bedding kicked up in the tray.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harris-farms-hanging-feeder-for-15-30-birds-12-lb-capacity

The coop you linked would be to small with chickens, food and water inside. It's good your looking for something bigger. A word of advice on the prefab coops, they are made with really cheap thin wood and don't hold up well at all. Do a search for prefab coops on here and you'll see a lot of dissatisfied people. If you can't make one yourself, you might want to see if you can find a handyman and see what they would charge.

Here are the waterer and feeder, I was talking about. The 2 qt waterer was for my brooder.



Feeder


Inside the feed bucket

 

[Horsedoglover]

Thank you! Ill do that for the feeder, but im debating between the vertical and horizantal nipple waterers.

 

[blackdog043]

Vertical nipples are cheap to buy for a reason,(they tend to leak and don't hold up as well as horizontal} but that's up to you. Also you will need enough height in your coop to get the waterer up high enough for the chickens to get the water. Unless your gonna keep the water in the run.