food- house or run?

[lovethepeep]

Where do you keep your chicken feeder and waterer? in the house/coop? run? or both?

I've got mine in thier coop, but the chicks don't seem to want to go INSIDE and eat, (or go in to sleep at night for that matter...) I thought of maybe putting a feeder and waterer in the run as well... what do you think?

 

[SterlingAcres]

I have a storage barrel inside the barn to store their feed. They eat outside and drink outside.

 

[ibpboo]

My food and water is kept outside. During rainy season, the food is just kept under something so it doesn't get rained on.
How old are your chicks? If they want to sleep outside, that is fine! My chickens do not sleep in their houses. I have a roosting shelf they all jump up on, it is under a little roof though so they do not get rained on.

 

[chickiebaby]

Like Shelly, I keep inside and feed mostly outside, unless it's, like, sleeting or something.

 

[Chirpy]

I keep their feeder inside the coop and a waterer inside the coop and outside in the run.

One of the issues with having a feeder outside is the potential for 'inviting' rodents and other uninvited guests. (Of course, some of them can find the feeder inside also.) The other is that the feed can get wet in bad weather. If you aren't concerned about either of those issues then it doesn't matter where you put them... whatever works for you.

 

[lovethepeep]

They are 6 weeks, and have been out in thier new place for a week. it seems like they would want/need the warmth at night, but they just huddle up in the corner of the run at night, until my boys and I go and toss them in their little door. It's just too cold at night... like 45-50!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I don't have a run, mine free-range, but like Chirpy I keep feed in the coop and water inside and out.
The best place for a chicken at night is in their coop. A run can't protect them from predators nearly as well as a coop can; no matter how well the run is built. Try running a temporary light to the coop and turning it on a little before dusk. They'll head to the light and you can lock them in. Let them get settled in their places for the night and then turn the light off.

 

[ChicksnPacas]

Right now we keep a hanging feed dish and waterer in both the run and the coop. The chickens are totally enclosed in the coop at night for predator protection so that way they always have food and water available to them. Also, they are always up and running around before we open the coop in the morning.

They seem to really enjoy the feed and waterer hanging in their run. They rarely eat or drink during the day in the coop. They only seem to go in there during the day to lay eggs. Ours also free range in a small pasture attached to their run, but they still come back to the run to eat some feed.

Now winter is going to be another situation though. We bought a heated waterer for the inside so we will probably have to remove the outside waterer when are temps get below freezing. Not sure how we will handle the feed. As long as we don't have snow blowing into the run area, we'll probably keep one hanging feeder outside close to the coop wall. From what I've heard on the forum, they still like to go outside even in questionable weather.

 

[Chirpy]

The best place for a chicken at night is in their coop.

I totally agree with Gritsar on this. They are not safe outside, even in their run. You really do want them locked securely inside their coop.

Because your chicks are still so young they just haven't learned where to roost yet. You can help them. You need to lock them inside the coop for about a week. Don't even let them outside during that time. They will then learn that the coop is where they 'want' to be and start to go into it at night after you've let them outside.

If they still don't get it then you will need to physically put them inside the coop every single night until they figure it out. But, most chicks will learn real quickly once locked inside their coop for that week or so.

You may have to teach them to use the roost also by putting them up on top of it for a while, after dark. However, often young chicks will feel safer and warmer by huddling in a corner until they are older. I didn't 'suggest' my chicks use their roosts until they were about 2 months old.​

 

[LynneP]

I feed inside for several reasons. First, it's easier to get them in before sunset. It's drier, even though our run is covered. It's easier to detect spoilage so it can immediately be cleaned, and easier to keep water from freezing in our climate. I also like the idea of lessening feed on the outside ground where it might attract predators and rodents...