Should i put the feed in the coop or in the run?

[chickencoop789]

Where should I put it?

 

[Den in Penn]

There is much back and forth about that. It's all about what works for you. How much room in the coop do you have? Do you have a covered run? Do you have a lot of other critters that like the free meal? Those are just some of the questions about where to put it.

 

[dancingflower68]

I do both.....at night I take their water and food out of the run and put it in their coop on some bricks, then in the morning I give them clean water and fill their food if necessary, and place it in the run. That way I'm not leaving any yummies out to attract rats or anything, and as a bonus I don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to let them out. They have 2 big plexiglass windows that open and close, plus 2 good size vents at the top of their coop, so they get a lot of light in there, and I know they wake up earlier than I do most days!

 

[coreshot]

My thought is to keep their main food source inside the coop, out of the weather and away from other critters. Then I'll toss treats and scratch out into the run to give them something to peck at.

 

[AceOfSpadesJJ]

i would put the waterer in the coop so it does not freeze and put the food in the run under some shade so no water gets inside it!

 

[Messy]

We keep the food in the coop. The birds can all go in and out freely all day long. Outside we keep water in pools for them. Inside we keep fresh water as well. At night they get their water changed for a second time and locked in the coop. We have trouble with coons eating not only the bird feed, but the birds themselves, so everything has to be on lock down at night.

 

[fricknfricassee]

We keep the food in the coop. The birds can all go in and out freely all day long. Outside we keep water in pools for them. Inside we keep fresh water as well. At night they get their water changed for a second time and locked in the coop. We have trouble with coons eating not only the bird feed, but the birds themselves, so everything has to be on lock down at night.

I agree totally. We do the same thing, exactly, and haven't had any issues. The chicks are happy and like their routine. I hear that chickens don't like "change", so since this program is working out just fine for all of us, we are sticking with it. Also, it gives me the chance to change their water and fill their feed while they are all out in the run. In the morning before I open the door, I clean and fill the outdoor waterer, hang ears of corn for them to peck at, etc. They seem perfectly happy to get their treats out in the run.

 

[Messy]

Oh I love the idea of hanging corn out there!!! I never thought of doing that... I'm a total "treater" LOL!!! And yeah, ours all seem pretty happy with their situation too.

 

[NSDWS]

I have been kicking this around for a day or to myself. My coop arrived today and I was going to build some waterier using the nipples and feeders using the 4" pvc. I think I will keep food and water in coop and just water in the run. Chicks are only 3 weeks old right now so got time to think this one out.