How do you feed in a coop? routines?

[newchknmama]

Here are a few questions.. do you
1. free feed? is food always available?
2. When do you give them scratch grains? in the run? coop? feeder? ground? (cracked corn)
3. Water inside coop at night too?

My coop is not too huge and has a little run, They will likely be in it most of the time, sometimes free ranging in the yard when I can be out there with them. I just got the coop today, will get it set up and painted in the next week or 2. Chicks are almost 5 weeks old.
Also I have a chick feeder and I hate it. Are the basic metal feeders that you can hang good?

 

[Darklingstorm]

I have a hanging feeder and waterer in my coop at all times. I also keep additional sources of water outside in multiple locations due to the heat we have here. So far it has been working great. The feed is kept dry and safe. Especially when there is a storm coming, I don't have to worry about running out there to make sure they have food & water.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I have a pvc feeder that hangs on the wall in the coop. I also have a hanging waterer made out of a juice bottle with a nipple pushed into the removable top hanging inside the coop as well. I dont have to worry about them getting food and water as it is always available. Outside in the run I have two waterers so they never run out of water. I feed scratch or corn on the ground outside unless it is raining. I throw boss in the coop so the girls scratch around and turn over the litter inside their coop. Saves me the trouble of doing it. I only give scratch or corn if its really cold out (like this winter). I like my pvc feeder as there is no waste because the girls cant bill it out like they can in regular feeders. I have pics on my byc page.

 

[Fred's Hens]

7:00 am. Check/clean/refill waterers. Early morning feeding.
10:30 am- gather eggs. Turn them out, weather permitting.
3:00 smaller portion afternoon feeding.
9:00 pm shut them in for the night.


I leave no feed out at night, for rodent control. Scratch? An occasional toss, outdoors, twice/three times a week.

Every other Saturday, clean coop. Fresh litter.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Quote:
The feeder hangs in the run under the chicken ramp (my run is covered) and a large waterer is in the corner of the run. The coop is for laying and roosting at night and they get locked in it at dusk. Hope this helps.
PS if the post looks funny I tried to BOLD my answers for you but I sometimes computer illiterate!

 

[sonew123]

I feed 24/7-I leave feeders and waterers full at all times-this is out of convenience. This was if I decide NOT to get up at 6 am to feed and wonder down at 9am I know they are all good.
My Dh feeds and waters them every morning before he goes to work at 7:30 weekends and all cleaning is my job.
They free range all day and don't eat as much feed now ( yah)
lock up at 8pm or dusk
egg collection at 7 am-5 pm 8 pm ( on weekends whenever Im outside and hear the songs being sung! I love it~
scratch-havent in a long time because they get all food leftovers from house 4-5x a week
I do keep scratch on hand for bribing them to get into coop early when I have to leave and wont be around for lock up-works everytime!

 

[Judy]

Good replies.

I keep two feeders and two waterers in the coop 24/7. They don't need any of it after dark, but they do at daybreak, and I'm not always up as early as they are, so that's my laziness. They don't have water outdoors even in the heat -- but if it's really hot they are in the coop anyway, as it's large and breezy and has a fan, so it's the coolest place. Water outdoors would be heated by the sun. This year we will get a couple of shelters up for them to give them a bit of shade in their yard, although some of the weed plants are getting big enough to do that for them, too.