Low maintenance feeders and waterers

[Josmom]

I am a newbie....haven't even bought any hens yet. I'm working on setting up the coop and run area right now. I have no supplies yet. I plan to have 3-4 hens. A couple of feeding/watering questions:

1) I would like to keep feeding and watering as low-maintenance as possible. Any recommended products that help keep things simple?

2) Do the hens need a separate feeder and water in the run AND in the coop, if they can freely move between the two spaces?

Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Lots of options for low maintenance. Feeder shouldn't be an issue with 4 birds. A good simple feeder should last about 3 days.
Water is a little bit different. Check out horizontal, vertical nipples and drinker cups. Those things keep water clean.
A small bucket for water is another cheap option.

I feed in the coop to limit wild birds and water in the run to keep the coop dry. They won't eat or drink at night.

 

[Josmom]

I didn't know they would not eat/drink at night. Thank you for the info!

 

[estamets]

My husband and I bought the Chicken Fountain. Our girls haven't moved to the coop yet, so I can't give you our personal experience. However, this product has great reviews, and we love that we're able to install it permanently by running PVC from one of our sprinkler lines (you can also just run a hose to it). It provides a constant supply of fresh water, and the valve & nipple combination means it's mostly waste- and mess-free. It's pricy, but we need our coop and run to be as low-maintenance as possible, so this was our best option. You can also buy nipples (either red ones that screw together or yellow ones that saddle the pipe) on Amazon or at most feed stores.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chickens are quite night blind so when they go to the roost at dusk, they don't move till dawn. That's also why they lay most of their eggs in the morning. They just hold them all night since they can't find the nest.