Food and Water Placement

[silkiechick05]

So, my chickens will be locked up at night, and have access to run and coop during the day.


Should i put the food and water in the run, or coop.


Do they eat/drink at night?

 

[Longhaven Hen]

I do both. I put water and food and supplements that I pay for (crumbles, scratch, oyster shell, grit) in the coop, so that they don't get spoiled by rain, etc. and on bad weather days, when the chickens would rather stay inside, everything they need is right there for them. (I leave the pop door open during the day, so they can go in and out as they please.) I also put water and free treats (kitchen scraps, salvaged grain from wheat and corn harvest, etc.) outside in the run, so they stay well hydrated (especially in the summer) and have something to scratch and peck for.

 

[schmije]

I keep food and water inside the coop. That keeps the food dry. The chickens don't eat or drink during the night (that I know of ), but they get up earlier than I do, so I want them to have access whenever they want it.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

I leave the food inside with their water so if I dont get down to the coop at the crack of dawn to open the pop door I know at least they have food and water....I leave water outside in their fenced in yard and I have a water container outside of the yard .I give them their treats in their yard or my yard( LOL ) They know where their feed is .For me keeping the feed in the coop helps keep the predators at bay and the feed dry......and the sparrows are not tempted to fly in the coop yet ...

 

[silkiechick05]

I have limited space in my coop, so do you think if i gave them a little food in there they could wait for water??

 

[Bandit]

I have food in the coop so they can eat when the light goes on at 6 am but I don't let them out till 7 am and they seem fine. Their water is outside along with more food and they do fine with food in the coop but no water. They tip over the food a lot so I don't want water in there to tip over and make a mess.

 

[Tala]

I have food in the coop, to keep it dry.
I have a waterer in the coop, a water bucket setting up against the outside of the coop, and one in the yard that everyone (dog, cats, wild birds, etc.) drinks from.
To solve the problem of keeping my food dry outside the coop (if I lock the babies in the coop and the adults out, for example) I bought a Rubbermaid tote for about $5 and cut a chicken sized door in one side. I put the feeder as far opposite the door as possible and voila! It was definitely cheaper than anything else I found, and worked better than the other things that I tried.

 

[biddyboo]

We have a small coop, 6 x 4, with nest box extention that our hens use for roosting/sleep at night and egg laying during the day. I do not put any food or water in the coop. They are ready to eat and drink as soon as we open the coop for them in the morning. Then they have full access in their chicken yard to food and water all day long. They thrive on our management. It seems to me that the main issue here in this post is wanting them to have feed/water in the morning to break their fast, just as we do. As long as you are disciplined to get to them by early daylight, then they should settle into the routine you establish and do well. During the summer/fall, DH would open their coop usually around 6-6:30. With winter coming on and later morning light, we now open by 7 or 7:30. No complaints from the hens, they greet us with clucks and clatter as they rush down their ramp and gather round their breakfast tables. ~G

 

[DragonFeathers]

We have both food and water inside the coop/house, in their run I have water and oyster shell, and my yard water and wild bird seed.
Hope this helps

 

[cmom]

I have their feeders and waters in both the coop and run also. This worked especially well when I enlarged my flock and integrated my pullets, as a couple of the hens would guard the feeders and not let the pullets near them.