Pros: They have food and water when they wake up so I can SLEEP IN!!!!!
Yeah! That!
Actually, I started putting water and food in the coop when the kids went back to school. Mornings are kinda chaotic with 3 kids in 2 different schools, plus a wife to feed and kick out of the house, so I usually don't get started on chores until 8:30 to 9am after I get back from dropping off the preschooler.
Of course, when the weather went toward and then below zero for a few weeks the hens didn't want to go out side anyway.
Cons:
I had to cut off about 8" of one end of the main roost to keep poop out of the water. My coop is pretty small, so the floorspace is limited, and I have the water and food both up on cinderblocks to keep wood chips out. I have to dodge the feeder on my way into the coop.
Yeah! That!
Actually, I started putting water and food in the coop when the kids went back to school. Mornings are kinda chaotic with 3 kids in 2 different schools, plus a wife to feed and kick out of the house, so I usually don't get started on chores until 8:30 to 9am after I get back from dropping off the preschooler.
Of course, when the weather went toward and then below zero for a few weeks the hens didn't want to go out side anyway.
Cons:
I had to cut off about 8" of one end of the main roost to keep poop out of the water. My coop is pretty small, so the floorspace is limited, and I have the water and food both up on cinderblocks to keep wood chips out. I have to dodge the feeder on my way into the coop.