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[skyshredder]

Does the food and water stay out in the run while the chickens are pened up in the coop at night?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Water can stay out all the time but absolutely do not leave feed outside overnight, it's a huge magnet for pests like rodents.

 

[skyshredder]

Water can stay out all the time but absolutely do not leave feed outside overnight, it's a huge magnet for pests like rodents.

So the feed stays in the coop?

 

[Rainwing]

I dump out my water daily usually but when there's a drought I cover the water in the run overnight with tarp, because I don't want animals like raccoons leaving droppings in it and getting my hens sick. Feed should stay in the coop, I don't feed my hens pellets after 6 pm in the run, only when I put them back into the coop, to avoid leftovers for raccoons.
Even if you don't have raccoons it can still attract mice, and mice attract owls, and some owls like eating chickens.

 

[skyshredder]

I dump out my water daily usually but when there's a drought I cover the water in the run overnight with tarp, because I don't want animals like raccoons leaving droppings in it and getting my hens sick. Feed should stay in the coop, I don't feed my hens pellets after 6 pm in the run, only when I put them back into the coop, to avoid leftovers for raccoons.
Even if you don't have raccoons it can still attract mice, and mice attract owls, and some owls like eating chickens.

How many kinds of feed do you have? I had planned to build a pvc pipe with watering cups and mount it in the run

 

[skyshredder]

The combination of wire I was able to buy I feel like will keep everything out.1 inch square over 2x4 inch squares.Hardware cloth wasn't available in town

 

[Rainwing]

How many kinds of feed do you have? I had planned to build a pvc pipe with watering cups and mount it in the run

Scratch and pellets, they were served to the hens in metal pans. If your run is secure then you probably don't have to worry as much about it, but even then, I don't like having food or water within eyesight of predators as a temptation. I can see how it could be tedious to refill and move things inside daily though, especially if it seems like there is no reason to.

If you use a chicken nipple system to water them then you don't have to worry about leaving that in the run overnight, most animals don't care for that and don't know how to drink from them.

 

[skyshredder]

Scratch and pellets, they were served to the hens in metal pans. If your run is secure then you probably don't have to worry as much about it, but even then, I don't like having food or water within eyesight of predators as a temptation. I can see how it could be tedious to refill and move things inside daily though, especially if it seems like there is no reason to.

If you use a chicken nipple system to water them then you don't have to worry about leaving that in the run overnight, most animals don't care for that and don't know how to drink from them.

Thanks The watering system is a little cup with a yellow tongue.It looked good but is yet to be seen. So you have metal pans with pellets at nite and scratch in the run during the day.Sounds simple enough.

 

[skyshredder]

Thanks The watering system is a little cup with a yellow tongue.It looked good but is yet to be seen. So you have metal pans with pellets at nite and scratch in the run during the day.Sounds simple enough.

I do have coyotes, raccoons,hawks,snakes,mice I think my chickens will have to be housed in fort Knox or supervised closely.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some of us keep food and water inside the coop only. Some of us keep it outside only. Some of us keep food and/or water both inside and outside. There is no one right answer for this that suits all of us. We all have different situations and our own reasons for doing what we do. What works for one may not work for another. I'm only going to scratch the surface of all the different reasons people do what they do.

Some typical reasons for feeding in the coop include people don't want to feed wild birds if wild birds can get to it outside. If you like to sleep in on a weekend so you are late letting them out they can get to food or water. Many of us lock them in the coop section only at night for additional predator protection. If you consider your run predator proof you don't have to do this. It may be easier to keep water thawed in winter and feed dry inside.

Some reasons to not feed or water in the coop is that water can spill and get the coop wet. Feeding inside the coop can attract rodents like mice and rats inside. The more time the chickens spend in the coop the more they poop inside. You may have to manage the poop more if they are inside more eating and drinking. Some coops are so small it is hard to set up roosts so the chickens are not pooping in the feed and water from the roosts. Feeding and watering in the run changes some of this.

I feed and water both inside and outside. I am sometimes slow to go down there and let then out on the morning so they have food and water. But the main reason is that I am always integrating juveniles. Having feed and water available in multiple places makes integration a lot easier, the older ones can't bully the younger away from all the food and water. Since mine have an open grassy area behind electric netting to graze on I can't keep wild birds out. That gate has to remain open. I sometimes find wild birds inside my coop.

Choose what makes sense for you and go with it. There is no really wrong answer.