Should I keep the water inside or outside the coop?

[Lily97]

Our coop looks pretty much like this. (this is not our coop but it's similar)





Would it be better to put the water inside the coop or underneath of it (like in the above picture)?

 

[kristamarie]

My opinion would be that depending on the square footage/ number of birds in your coop- putting the food and water outside, under the coop would allow for the maximum space for living inside. My first coop was quite small and i chose to keep the food inside away from vermin and water outside. They have a much larger coop now and I have allowed space for their food and water in the coop. The water stays clean and im not feeding mice and moles- only chickens.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Water inside the coop encourages mold.

On the other hand, if they aren't let outside at daybreak, they need water in the coop.

I keep my waterers outside the coop. However, in the winter when I have the light bulb on for warmth, they get a water pan in the coop since they will eat all night long sometimes. I don't want them to choke and be thirsty.

If they are still chicks they need water constantly.

Oh and it is good to have two waterers in the summer as one will inevitably fail on that 100 degree day and you find out about it the next day.

 

[Lily97]

Ok, great! Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Happimtn]

My chickens have both - I have water inside the coop and in the run. I wanted to be sure just in case someone got locked in or out!
Texas heat has been horrible so far this year. Keeps me busy as I am having to change the water out daily - I am also adding ice on those killer days of 100 degrees!

 

[katiemdenne]

I use the DLM, and it is winter here in the west coast of Canada. Temperatures range from about 0-12 degrees celsius. There is a lot of wet litter around the waterer, and we now have a mite problem. The waterer doesn't appear to be leaking, so I am assuming the chickens are messy drinkers. I know that you need dry litter to maintain a healthy flock, so I am considering moving their waterer outside. Do you think this is a good idea? I should also add that we have a light on a timer that comes on at 4am to give the girls 14 hours of light a day (to promote laying). The automatic doors open three hours after the light come on.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I use the DLM, and it is winter here in the west coast of Canada. Temperatures range from about 0-12 degrees celsius. There is a lot of wet litter around the waterer, and we now have a mite problem. The waterer doesn't appear to be leaking, so I am assuming the chickens are messy drinkers. I know that you need dry litter to maintain a healthy flock, so I am considering moving their waterer outside. Do you think this is a good idea? I should also add that we have a light on a timer that comes on at 4am to give the girls 14 hours of light a day (to promote laying). The automatic doors open three hours after the light come on.

If you have the light on inside the coop with food, they do need water too in my opinion.

What I would suggest for the wet litter is to put the waterer inside a pan, like an oil pan or black rubber pan to catch the excess water. You can have the whole thing up on a concrete block and if you have bantams, set another concrete block next to it so they can reach.

What I use under my waterers in my shed coops is one of those clear round dollies on wheels for potted plants. I will try to find a pic of one.

For mites, I use permethrin powder under wings, on abdomen and back, vent area (bird lies on back on ground for dusting, then flip over) with tied-off sock. I spray the coop crevices with Permethrin spray or poultry protector also.

Repeat dusting every 7 days until gone to kill the hatching eggs.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-14.5-Clear-Plant-Caddie/16630818
this is what I use under my waterers.

Whenever I remove my waterer to dump the dirty water every day there is always some water in the little indentations. The floor does get slightly damp under it though as I slosh it putting it back every day. But it helps tremendously.

Also I use sand in the bottom of my coops- a very thin layer and scrape it up every day into a pile, then sift through it with a kitty litter scoop for the solids (removing them daily), then spread the sand back in place. Works well for me but definitely a time-eater.

 

[ChickenWaterer]

If you are in an area where the temperature dips below freezing at night, you may want to put the waterer into the coop. The chickens body heat may be sufficient to keep the water from freezing. You can also put a 40 watt lightbulb in the coop and run this when the weather is cold. The lightbulb usually throws off enough heat to keep the temperature above 32 degrees F.