No Food and water at night?

[muddipuppy]

I was told not to put food or water in the coop at night. Is that right? My hens will be free ranging starting around noon until sundown.

 

[KellyHM]

They should have access to food and water at all times. They likely won't use it much at night, but they should have it just in case. The only time you don't feed at night is if you're raising meaties.

 

[fowler_chick]

my chicks have acess to food and water all the time both in and out, although were cutting back on the treats because there getting fat....

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Unless you plan to be up and offer water and food to them before daybreak every day, I would suggest that you put some in the coop.
I always have one or two that are always pushed away from the feeder by more aggressive hens, and I find these at the feeder after dark, using the moonlight to see by, regularly.

Jean

 

[muddipuppy]

Are there water bottle drip type things that you can hang in a coop? What are your suggestions for minimal mess inside a small coop?

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

We have put both water and feeder up on mason blocks that are just below shoulder heights of the chickens. It seems to keep them from throwing the food around. The water gets dirty everyday from all the dust that they create. I have read on other posts that some chickens don't like the drippy water things. Hope that helps.

Sandee

 

[mayden]

I was using the chick waterers, the type with the screw in bottle. I was having to rinse it out twice a day because they would get debris such as pine shavings in it. It helped to elevate it but it still needed to be filled and rinsed twice a day. I checked out these drippy things as you called it and just received 4 of them yesterday.

Here's the link: quite cheap
https://www.teksupply.com/farm/supp...ering_systems-ts1_hoses_nipples;287f0f77.html

All I did was use a 3/8 drill and drilled a hole in the bottom of a milk jug. You can use really any kind of plastic jug or bottle. Within minutes I had a gallon of water hanging in the coop and because the nipple is red that went for it right a way with no coaxing. . I had 4or 5 chickens pecking a way at it drinking the water. I went ahead and took the original chic waterers out and I just love how much easier it will be to keep them watered.

I strongly recommend this system.

 

[muddipuppy]

Does this have a ball tip, like in a hamster/rabbit water bottle?

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I used the rabbit waterers for quite a while, but found they leaked and the chickens would knock them down and I was constantly searching for the hanging pieces. I now use a plastic 3gallon waterer in there during the night along with their food and they have a 5gallon waterer in the run. I have 25chickens, 3 ducks and 2 geese all in the same coop/run and they go through that 3gallons each evening.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I put their food out every morning. If food is left in the coop overnight field rats will become a big problem soon enough. They do not notice because they are sleeping.