Food and water inside or out or both

[Dieseldog]

Howdy,
My coop is only 3' by 4' with a run that is 4' by 14'. I live in Western Massachusetts and will be putting four hens in the coop. Would you recommend food and water placed inside or outside? If placed under the coop outside, it would leave more room for them in the coop. If placed outside, will they go out to eat/drink in rain and snowy days?
Thanks, Jim

 

[iwiw60]

Howdy,
My coop is only 3' by 4' with a run that is 4' by 14'. I live in Western Massachusetts and will be putting four hens in the coop. Would you recommend food and water placed inside or outside? If placed under the coop outside, it would leave more room for them in the coop. If placed outside, will they go out to eat/drink in rain and snowy days?
Thanks, Jim

That's a pretty tiny coop...what breed hens do you have....are they large breeds? As for their water and food I would try to have them in both locations, especially with this awful heat we're all having...

 

[RJSorensen]

That is a tough question, maxed out on birds you don't have room in the coop for hanging feeders/waterers etc. I suppose you could try using PVC pipe and only have the feeding end in the coop? Perhaps watering nipples, again the storage outside the coop and the nipples on the inside. I prefer horizontal nipples, given a choice. You might be able to provide the same food/water to under the coop as per above.

Tight quarters require compromise, you will have to make it somewhere,

RJ

 

[Smorz]

....I prefer horizontal nipples, given a choice. You might be able to provide the same food/water to under the coop as per above.
RJ

RJ, I'm trying to decide how to water my chickens right now. Why do you prefer the horizontal waterers? Is that the one that looks like a cross? And how do you handle freezing water?

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I only have food and water out in the run for my girls. But my run is secure so I never close the coop door, which means it's really almost the same as having food inside. You don't want to only have water outside if they'll be locked in the coop and can't get to it.

Yes, they go out in the snow and rain, doesn't seem to bother them at all. Mine have under the coop to get out of the weather and that's where I see them most days if it's raining or snowing but they do scratch around in the run even in the rain/snow.

If I closed my coop every night I would probably at least have water inside as well as outside.

 

[Smorz]

We close our coop at night. Wondering why water inside the coop at night - aren't they just there to roost?

 

[islandgirl82]

Howdy,
My coop is only 3' by 4' with a run that is 4' by 14'. I live in Western Massachusetts and will be putting four hens in the coop. Would you recommend food and water placed inside or outside? If placed under the coop outside, it would leave more room for them in the coop. If placed outside, will they go out to eat/drink in rain and snowy days?
Thanks, Jim

My starter coop was small. Though it was marketed for 4-6 chickens, I never kept more than 3 full grown chickens in it at one time (4 when they were chicks) because any more seemed far too cramped. Once they were full grown I had no room inside the coop for food or water so I kept both in the run. I'm on the coast of Maine. I must have a finicky flock because none of mine like to be out when it's too wet, windy or too cold. The snow doesn't seem to bother them but I ended up upgrading coops so there's now plenty of room inside for both a feeder and waterer although currently I keep the water outside. I'll move it in for the winter though.

I might suggest covering part of the run so they have some protection from the elements if you have to keep their food and water outside.

 

[byfarmer]

I plan on doing the pvc pipe for food inside the coop, using the idea of the feeder part being inside the fillup/storage part on the outside. however, I also plan on having water inside for those rainy snowy days. So far my flock doesn't show any dislike for the rain except very heavy rainfall. I didn't get my chicks until this year so don't know about the snow, but I am pretty sure they won't want to be out when it's below freezing.

 

[RonP]

I keep food and water inside for weather protection.

A second waterer outside, where they spend most of their awake time.

 

[iwiw60]

RJ, I'm trying to decide how to water my chickens right now. Why do you prefer the horizontal waterers? Is that the one that looks like a cross? And how do you handle freezing water?

To whoever asked the question regarding horizontal water nipples over the vertical and cup style ones. I use the horizontal nipples only. Why? Simple...they don't leak at all. The vertical nipples which hang from the bottom of a bucket will sometimes (not always, but sometimes) leak. The cup-style ones will freeze up on you quickly during winter months. What I'm doing for the winter months here where I live...SNOW COUNTRY and we get down below zero quite often ... is dropping a very small stock tank heater rated at no more than 500 amps (anything bigger amperage will have the probability of melting your bucket). That's it, that's all .. I love the horizontal style nipples...works for me!!