Should I have water and feed in the coop? Pro's & Con's

[woodmort]

Let me preface this by saying I have a big coop, up to 4 dozen chickens (+/-) and my birds are free-ranged. What appears below has been my practice for over 30 years.

I have always kept both in the coop because there are times when the chickens are confined 24/7--like right now with the temperatures in the single digits and snow on the ground. This way they have access to both and it is easier to keep the water from freezing. Plus it's easier to check and refill them when collecting eggs.

Food outside attracts varmints including wild birds that can bring in disease. If you're worried about mice and rats coming inside, tighten the security with hardware cloth and/or plug any holes. I hang my feeders from ceiling using a chain and cover them with a metal cap I purchased from Amazon. They are tipsy enough that the birds don't sit on them.

While water can cause moisture problems proper ventilation can mitigate this. I use 8 gallon. double walled waterers that are raised on cement blocks, leveled and, in the winter, sit on top of heaters. The only time I had problems with water was when I kept ducks--some I no longer do--because the splashed it all over. I had to keep replacing the litter around the waterer base. Yes birds do, on occasion, sit on the top of the waterer and poop requiring hosing off when it is refilled. But they'll do that outside too.

I do, however, feed scraps outside right by the pop door as I don't need any more organic material inside.

 

[eikome]

I keep all feed and water out in the run. My run is covered and rodent+predator proof, although blowing snow and rain do come in the sides. The hens have no issues going outside to eat & drink in the winter even in below freezing temps. I don't regularly heat or insulate their coop, so it's generally just a few degrees above outdoor temp, so that probably helps. I do have a bucket heater to keep the water unfrozen. I'm much more concerned about the possibility for frostbite with added moisture in the coop than making them go outside for a drink. So far it works well for me.

 

[msmidwick]

My husband built our chickens the best coop and they use it just for sleeping, laying eggs, and getting in or under from the rain/cold. Their run is quite large and covered with netting and the perimeter has wire 2' to the outside to keep predators from digging in. That said, their feed is in a 55 gallon plastic trash can which my husband engineered to allow so much feed to drop to PVC pipe openings. I then had to cover the lid with aluminum foil to keep the critters (we're not sure what it was) from chewing holes in the lid and getting into the feed. Their water is also outside and provided by nipples in a 2" PVC pipe which we check every couple days and allow the water to flow to stop mold from forming. Considering we are in Florida, this seems perfect for them. They can eat when they want, be outside or inside (it is 35 degrees here right now!). Good for me as I do not have to monitor them every day except to gather eggs. I am going to try to attach a picture of the feeder - it is great no matter if yours are in or out.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I also have a very large coop with 40 birds. They are free range, but sometimes get locked up all day due to weather. They have their feed and water in the coop at all times. We don’t worry about a little lost feed. They do a great job for us. During the day we bring feed outside for them so they are drawn to come out and not be pooping inside..and get some nice air...even in the winter it works well.

 

[jspeese]

I keep the feed and water in the coop, and I hung my feeder and waterer so they don't kick so much dreck into it as they scratch, plus it gives them more floor space. In the coop, the water is less likely to freeze and the feed is protected from the elements, including songbirds (I like wild birds, except for hawks and owls, but I don't want them in my coop and run). But I just have chickens. I know that keeping water in the coop the same way I do for chickens would not be an option for ducks.

 

[Manhen]

I have moved all feed outside the coop recently. The birds are older now, 8 months, and don't seem to care. Water is inside though...

 

[D-Bar-B]

It's really personal preference. I keep the food/water outside of the coop because my girls tend to kick all the straw into their water when I've tried to keep in in the coop for them.
The only time having it outside is an issue is when the lovely dust storms are blowing through our place in West Texas (which is basically half of the year) and I don't feel like going out to open up the coop.

To combat their food getting wet during rainy weather, my sweet hubby built me a little shelter for their food. Unless it's raining WITH the 50+ mph wind, the food stays dry.

The only day this winter that my girls refused to go outside to get to their food/water was when we got 5 inches of snow...something they're not used to here. I had to go out and shovel a path for them...they're quite spoiled (according to my hubby).

Good luck and have fun with them once you get them!!

 

[Manhen]

It's really personal preference. I keep the food/water outside of the coop because my girls tend to kick all the straw into their water when I've tried to keep in in the coop for them.
The only time having it outside is an issue is when the lovely dust storms are blowing through our place in West Texas (which is basically half of the year) and I don't feel like going out to open up the coop.

To combat their food getting wet during rainy weather, my sweet hubby built me a little shelter for their food. Unless it's raining WITH the 50+ mph wind, the food stays dry.

The only day this winter that my girls refused to go outside to get to their food/water was when we got 5 inches of snow...something they're not used to here. I had to go out and shovel a path for them...they're quite spoiled (according to my hubby).

Good luck and have fun with them once you get them!!

A heat lamp/heated coop is generally discouraged. The warmth prevents their feet and combs from adjusting to the cold, then when they go out they get frostbite. I don't use a lamp or heat of any kind and all 86 birds come home to roost every evening before dark.

EDIT: I live in a place where winter is from 60 to as cold as 5. Not this year, global warming has really improved things here, more bugs for the birds...

 

[jspeese]

Looks like a neat setup. I would definitely build something like this for ducks. I also like the idea of a "water porch" for ducks, where the water is on a low platform with a wire bottom and/or outside the main pen. Ducks are great, but they make a mess with water. With chickens it isn't a problem.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We keep the feed inside the coop (we call it a hen house) and the water outside. The coop has a man-size door open all the time, not a pop door, and the feed is in a five-gallon no-waste plastic bucket with ports on the sides. The water is in open no-freeze buckets, electric. We've done it this way for close to ten years. Well... the no-waste feeder is new this year.