Probably the dumbest question ever

if they are in a run, i think leaving the food outside just during the day is a fine idea. it will keep mice from taking up residence in your coop. i would just cover the food at night to keep rodents away.

the chickens will be fine, they roost and sleep at night.

 

I don't put food in the coop. It is my impression that chickens can't see well at night anyway, and when they roost they are there to stay. I am sure come winter I will be putting food in there, but for now, I don't. Also, I think a poop bar is the same thing as a poop board? Which is put under the roost to catch the poop and make it easier to clean up.

 

I keep the food inside the coop.

 

You do not need to bring food in at night - they wil be fine without it. Just make sure that you are able to open the coop at a reasonable time in the a.m. so that they can get to their waterer.

The poop/droppings board can be your best friend. If you have a smallish coop, the ammonia fumes can build up quickly if droppings are allowed to accumulate in the coop for a few days - even with proper ventalation (p.s this is a must read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION


Each day you just scrape the accumulated poo off the board, hose off if necessary and put it back in under the roosts. Chickens eliminate most waste during the night.


Good luck!

 

I keep a hanger inside and pitch food for outside.... a poop board is a savior...especially for the garden...put it in a bucket with water and it makes a perfect side dressing...

 

I have food inside and outside since mine free range, but they never eat the food inside, so I don't keep much in there.

I don't use a poop bar...I get those large flat empty boxes from Sam's Club and fill them with dried grass clippins and put them under their roost. About every three days, I just take the boxes and dump the grass and poop into my compost bin...then fill with new clean grass. So easy! And our coop is always clean, no flies and no stinkies!

 

I've heard, and read, that keeping food in the coop depends a lot on the size of your coop. If you have a smaller coop and keep the food inside this may encourage chickens to peck around and see what else is edible, like eggs. If you have a larger coop interior I've heard this isn't as much of an issue. None of my girls (two coops) have food or water inside. They have all their goodies in the run. The coop is only for laying and sleeping, though my coop is small. You can always do some trial and error and see what works best for you!