Food in coop or Run??

[BethMatt]

Hi. New chicken owner here, our chicks have just transitioned to the coop this week, I was wondering if it's better to keep the food and water in the run or in the coop?

 

[Spartan22]

My opinion either or, I have both. By that, no one is Being bullied out of food and water. When they don't want to go out they have food and water if they want to run and have sun they have food and water. I have the water and food containers hanging to the level of their backs so they can't messed and spill and be wasted So far it works good, food are filled once a day and water is kept clean. Someone said advantage of water being outside, no moisture in the coop, advantage of food inside doesn't get wet when it rains plus the rodents can't get to it. I opted to do both, since my cooped and run are all sealed tight with hardware cloth under the coop foundation. And my coop is well ventilated and insulated and the run is partially roofed with clear panel. Hope it will help you make the decision, I listened to both pros and cons and stole both ideas.

 

[KelsT]

I am wondering the same thing. they way I was building my coop food and water would go on the outside. I want to use poultry nipples and it seems like the excess water the come out might be bad for in the coop. My coop isn't going to be something I can walk in. I will be able to easily walk into the run.... like this!


If I need to I can add in a door to have access to supply food and water in the coop.... at this point i just was ging to hand it under the coop in the run...

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is one of those things that comes down to what works best for you, your flock and your setup - it's really just a personal preference for which there is no one right or wrong answer.

What type of feeders are you planning to use? This will factor into whether it is something you would want exposed to weather conditions (ie out in the run) or not - treadle feeders. closed "no waste feeders" etc would not be an issue for food spoilage from rain, etc as much as the more open feeders would be. If kept outside, the more open feeders would require some additional thought and construction to provide cover over them (many folks hang them outside under a raised coop so that the coop floor provides the roof over the feed/water station).
How enclosed is your run? Are there other animals that you would need to consider who may access the feed/water station if it is outdoors and what, if any, possible risks can you see that causing? Example - the horses in your avatar - poultry feed is grain based and quite attractive to horses, but not something the ought to be consuming. If you leave the run open to allow the birds to free range it would also invite the horses to do a little exploring (speaking from experience as I have one very snoopy horse who has tried, on more than one occasion, to wander on into the run while the door was open).
Water in the coop can lead to mess if it is bumped/spilled and moisture in the coop from that spill can contribute to overall unsanitary conditions, set you up for moisture loving disease conditions, contribute to the humidity of the coop (important when considering frostbite risk during cold winter temps, especially in a poorly ventilated coop) etc.

What is your overall climate and how likely is it for there to be days/weeks when the birds would not want to be out in the run?
How accessible is the coop going to be for you to be able to get to and fill a water feed station?
How accessible is the run going to be for the same?
Are you already pushing the limit for space per bird inside the coop? (depending on the type of feed/water containers used you can take up a lot of "floor space" having them occupying coop space)
Will your birds be locked into the coop at night and, if so, when will someone go out to let them out in the mornings?

There are a lot of things that can be considered and arguments to be made for either or both - I'd say, pick one that sounds right for you, try it and, if you don't like it, try the other until you find what you like best.

 

[KelsT]

Speaking of other animals eating chicken food I have one cat that has a hayday every time I feed the chicken and given the chance goes to town on their food! last thing I would have thought he'd eat, you would think the grit would turn him off but no!

 

[Kris64]

We keep ours in the run, which the hens have access to 24/7. The main reason is to encourage the hens to get outside and move about. At this time of year that's not a problem, but I had read ideas during the winter of folks up north keeping food and water outside just to "make" the chickens get exercise. Exercise and fresh air: two elements of great health.

 

[Julia62]

Ours is in the run. Our coop is only 4 x 4 inside a 10 x 10 dog run. It is on 15" posts so it has a nice underside for them. Feeder hangs underneath the coop and water sits on a brick underneath as well (I've tried many methods for water and a large heavy duty plastic dog bowl works best and easiest, dump it out each night and refill). Our run is covered. They also free range all day long. They squawk at me until I let them out, pushy chickens!

It works for them...

 

[BethMatt]

Ours is in the run.  Our coop is only 4 x 4 inside a 10 x 10 dog run.  It is on 15" posts so it has a nice underside for them.  Feeder hangs underneath the coop and water sits on a brick underneath as well (I've tried many methods for water and a large heavy duty plastic dog bowl works best and easiest, dump it out each night and refill).  Our run is covered.  They also free range all day long.  They squawk at me until I let them out, pushy chickens!    It works for them...

Yes they are needing little things aren't they

mine will run for me the minute I'm in sight & tell me all about how I'm not moving fast enough! Haha. Thanks for the tip!

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I also keep mine in the run, the coop is open to the run 24/7(gotta love a predator proof run).

I use vertical nipples in a 5 gal pail for a waterer and I have noticed some wet patches on the ground under the feeder as well as Ice stalagmites on the ground under the nipples in the winter. So with the leakage from the nipples I think it would cause moisture problems if it was in the run without modification.

As was mentioned previously it's a personal thing depending on your setup and your needs.

 

[KelsT]

How is you coop predator proofed?