Food and Water - Inside the Coop or Outside in the Run?

[Opa]

Quote:
Just curious, do you not let your birds out if it's raining? Mine go in and out at will and venture out in all but the most severe rainstorms.

 

[jaku]

In the summer, I keep my food and water outside, with the food under cover. In the winter, I put them both inside.

 

[Peeplperson]

Mahlzeit, Good to know. I've been worried that if they weren't let out at the crack of dawn (and that's just NOT going to happen very often!) they would dehydrate.

I'll take a deep breath, relax, and remember that they've survived many millenia without my help.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I think it kind of depends on your coop and run too.

Small coops/runs and tractors will probably need to be outside so your birds have enough room to move around.

Big coops you can keep it inside in order to keep critters out of it unless you have a super secure run. Squirrel, mice, rats, and birds can get through chainlink with no problems. Hardware cloth and roof would be the only way to keep them out.

 

[Mahlzeit]

Quote:
Just curious, do you not let your birds out if it's raining? Mine go in and out at will and venture out in all but the most severe rainstorms.

If it's pouring in the morning before I let them out, no I do not let them out. The run becomes a big mess and then the eggs are covered in mud and such from their feet. If they are already outside and it starts to rain or it is not a hard rain I will let them go in and out as they please.

 

[Mahlzeit]

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They don't all come running out begging for water either they come running out and about half of them drink and the other half go for the treats.

 

[crazychick]

Ok-I have FINALLY (3 yrs of trying to convince hubby) gotten my "babies" and starting to set up their coop and run.
I have a few questions that I hope I can get opinions on. 1) Food and water containers-should I hang them or place them on the floor? 2) Can I use a dog pen as a run/tractor for my girls so that they can be moved around the yard, and if so, what is the best way to convert said pen to tractor? I do plan to cover top/bottom w/chicken wire to keep varmants out
and place a tarp over part of run when sunny. 3) Where can I get ideas on how to set up the inside of the coop (an 8'x8' storage shed) for best efficiency of space? 4) How many nesting boxes should I build for 10 chickens, and what makes a good nesting box? 5) What would be the maximum number of chickens I could place in my shed/coop? 6) I plan to raise some of the chickens for consumption. Does anyone know someone in southern CT. that would take care of the "hard part"?
I am sure I will have many more questions before I am fully comfortable and can relax and enjoy my chicks. I thank everyone who can give me some insight into the world of Backyard Chickens!!

 

[Raising Reds]

Quote:
Congratulations on getting your husband onboard with the chickens!

1) I hang my food container and have the water container up on bricks. Both are outside and it seems to work well. The coop is strictly for egg-laying and roosting at night.

4) You don't need a nesting box per chicken. They'll all tend to gravitate to using the same one or couple. I would say that four or five is plenty.

5) 4 sq feet of floor space per chicken for the larger breeds. 2 sq feet of floor space per chicken for the smaller breeds.

6) Good luck with that. Mother Earth News has an article on raising chickens for meat this month.

 

[Raising Reds]

Oops! I forgot about 2)

Dog runs, unless they're really small, once covered in wire and such can get pretty heavy. They make for a nice, secure run but may not prove very mobile for use as a tractor.

 

[NotTheMomma]

I keep water both inside and outside. Food is kept inside only though. Treats are all fed outside. I'm trying to keep other critters from showing up for a meal. Mine only hang out in the run early in the morning, and then again late afternoon. Most evenings they are in my yard, scratching and pecking away. I've noticed they eat the most of their feed right before going to bed though. Seems they get a morning breakfast in the run, must take a nap during the hottest part of the day, eat again in the run, and when running around the yard. They make sure that crop is filled to the max just right before flying up on the rafters of my coop though! They said my perches weren't high enough, so just ignore them, and fly to the rafters! They are going to get awfully cold this winter....