Night time snacks?

[Wormhunter]

Does anyone else place food and water in the coop overnight? I have 7 rather large hens and have been advised to leave a bowl of mixed corn in the coop at night? Not sure why, aren’t they asleep at night?

 

[Farmgirl1878]

The chickens are asleep, but the mice aren’t...

 

[Farmgirl1878]

During the worst weather, I do keep water in the coop. I’ll bring a small rubber pan of chicken chow out during the day to put in the coop, but I always take it in when I lock the girls up at night. The “worst weather” simply means if it’s well below zero or big thunderstorms. My run is covered (metal roof) and wrapped in plastic during the winter, so most days the girls eat out in the run. It’s really noisy out there during thunderstorms and heavy rains, so sometimes they spend more time in the coop where it’s quieter. But again, I don’t want to feed the mice, so no food is available at night. Also, I use treadle feeders in the run, so no worries about mice out there either.

 

[Acre4Me]

We only leave food in the coop if it is very cold weather and I want to give the chickens the ability to eat as soon as they wake up rather than waiting for us to let them out. Also, during really bad weather, some chickens stay in the coop, so they can fill up easier at bedtime when food is in the coop. Their intake of food increases in the winter bc they is how they stay warm.

other than that we do not leave food in the coop.
They do not eat in the dark.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Chickens don't eat when it's dark, if you can't see, nether can they.
I keep feed and water in my well ventilated coops, 24/7.
My coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
When I open the coops at 5 am and turn on the lights, they jump off the roosts and head to the feeder and waterer.
My pens are not rodent proof and songbirds can access them, so no feed outside of coops. GC

 

[Wormhunter]

Chickens don't eat when it's dark, if you can't see, nether can they.
I keep feed and water in my well ventilated coops, 24/7.
My coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
When I open the coops at 5 am and turn on the lights, they jump off the roosts and head to the feeder and waterer.
My pens are not rodent proof and songbirds can access them, so no feed outside of coops. GC

Thanks,