Keep water INSIDE or OUTSIDE of coop

[mrv19]

We are completing our coop this week and i always assumed the water would be inside until i just read something that states water should be kept outside? That as long as chickens have access to water at daybreak they are fine to go the night and that the decrease in moisture in the coop as well as risk for spillage on bedding makes it worth it to keep it in the run. Thoughts?

 

[mrv19]

I should add that our coop WILL have a run and the girls will be locked in the coop at night, and we live in new england

 

[Pork Pie]

I personally do not keep water in my coop. I should add that i live in the tropics and my chickens are let out of the coop every morning at daybreak without fail. If, in summertime you cannot envisage yourself doing the same, then maybe its worth considering in the height of the summer when daylight hours are long.

CT

 

[mrv19]

Thank you! It shouldn't be an issue for me to get out there im a very early riser

 

[sunflour]

Where you place the water fount depends on your location, weather and coop/run set up.

Mine live in an all in one coop/run and the entire area is under one roof - so I keep the fount in the run.

They don't eat or drink at night. If you plan to let them out early in the mornings ( mine come out about 30 minutes before daybreak) and they have access to the water all day in the run - then that would be my first choice. But if you ever have need due to your winter weather to confine in the coop during the day then they will need access to water and feed in the coop.

I live in Georgia and never have to confine them to just the coop even on our coldest days. And I use a light under the fount to keep the water from freezing on cold days - plugged into a "thermostat" that turns on the light when temps drop.

If you need to place the fount inside the coop - you can make a water "trap" to set it on to catch spills?

 

[mrv19]

Good idea on the water trap so bedding wont get wet. There will be room in the coop should i need to move it in die to weather. But i do think i will leave the water in the covered run as much as i can

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

our girls get watered and fed outside year round,, and we live in central WI, it takes a little extra work, but we think leads to healthier, happier birds

 

[mechanic57]

I keep it out side until the weather is such that the water will freeze so hard that they can't peck and break the ice. Then I move it inside and plug in the heater thermocube to keep it from freezing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think a lot of this depends on your unique situation, just like about everything else to do with chickens. I have three watering stations and three feeding stations, one of each inside the coop and two outside. I practically always have younger birds with my flock. By spreading out the feed and water the younger ones can eat and drink without challenging the older birds. If you don’t have younger birds or are not integrating, that’s not an issue for you.

I don’t consider this a question where there is one right answer with everything else wrong. If you are far enough south in the US and have an open-air coop, moisture build-up from the waterer isn’t a problem with that ventilation. If you provide heated water in the winter, especially in a poorly ventilated coop, moisture build-up could be a big frostbite issue if it really gets cold where you are. Whether or not it gets wet around your water could be a factor. How early in the morning they get access to water is a factor.

If you live where the water can freeze in the winter, how you manage that can be a factor. In winter I use black rubber bowls so if the water freezes I just turn them over and bang the ice out but I’m around a lot so I can do that. The ones outside in the sun will stay thawed pretty well when the sun is shining due to solar heating. In summer I switch the outside bowls to white bowls to keep the water cooler and try to get them in the shade as much as possible.

I suggest you try something and see how it goes. If you have an issue, be flexible and try something else. There are lots of good ideas on this forum

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

As I mentioned earlier, our birds are fed and watered outside year round. The black rubber bowels you can get at most farm/animal supply stores work great. The ice is easy to pop out each morning as Ridgerunner mentioned and will keep the water from completely freezing until the chickens go in for the night. Even on the coldest of days, just slightest amount of sun keeps them from freezing solid