night time feeds

[magiemay]

Now that the days are getting shorter, should i put food and water in the chickens house at night or will they compensate for the lack of daylight and eat enough during the day. This will be our first winter with the girls and want to make sure they get enough - do they eat at night?

 

[saladin]

They don't eat in the dark.

You can feed them what they will clean up in around 15 minutes before they go to roost once the weather gets cool; this will help them stay warm during the night. Scratch grains are best for this.
saladin

 

[2dancingrats]

I've been feeding mine in the evening. I can't get to them in the morning and they do get a bedtime snack. I find that the food I leave in the coop at night is breakfast when they wake up. So far, no problems with this method.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I've fed at night, also, at times.

You may lose a little bit to mice, but you will also have food there in the morning when they get up (usually before you get up

)



Usually I do a nighttime feed when I
A) know I will be in a hurry the next morning (have other chores, also)

or

B) know that they will be cooped up the next day for some reason or other (super bad weather or medications = no free range)
If I open that coop in the morning and they are used to going out then they mob the door and I have to fight to get in while keeping the inside - much easier to go in later in the day to add feed and water than to try it first thing in the morning.

meri

 

[2txmedics]

I feed mine in the morning, about 8-9am, and then Ill feed them again just before bed like at 6pm...this way they can eat and then start getting settled for the night...they start to roost at 7pm...

 

[chickluvr]

I leave the night on at night , so i have seen mine eating and drinking in the middle of the night! I have started not putting any water in the coop at night because they spill it.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
If they have food, they should have water, also, or they should have neither. That chicken feed is awfully dry - think about eating crackers before bed with nothing to drink. Of course, if you have water in the run and they have access to the run (what I do) you can still feed with no water inside.

Also (not picking on you, honest

) I would turn the light off at night. 24 hours of light can make them stressed. Maybe not to the point of them wandering around with a crazed look in their eyes talking to themselves... but enough to stop them laying. Stress makes them more vulnerable to disease. Only time mine have 24 hours of light is when they are babies and it's a heat lamp.

meri

 

[SunnyD]

If they have food, they should have water, also, or they should have neither.

I don't leave feed or water with my chickens or ducks at night in their pens. I've done this since they were babies. But then I'm (actually my wife) sure to give them access to both at first light.​

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
I don't leave feed or water with my chickens or ducks at night in their pens. I've done this since they were babies. But then I'm (actually my wife) sure to give them access to both at first light.

Yep, I've done the no food or water before, also. Especially in summertime when they go out at first light and go in so late at night. In winter they spend longer int he dark, so I do give food and water inside (plus the weather - sometimes one or two will choose not to go out at all for a day, but that is very rare).

But, I wouldn't give them food and no water - water and no food, perhaps --- but not food without something to drink.

meri

 

[bigoakhunter]

When you said, "they don't eat in the dark", what about 4-6 week old chicks that have a 250 watt red light on them. I keep it on 24/7. And was planning on weening them off in a couple weeks.

Do they eat with a red light or only with white light??