water and feed inside coop at night?

[GroundParrot]

I keep food and water in the run, both hanging, nothing in the coop. Run is covered so don't have to worry about the food getting wet. The pop door is always open between the coop and run since there's a metric ton of hardware cloth on the run and the coop is solid.

 

[dftkarin]

I have small hanging feeders and gallon waterers and I have both inside the coop, and out in the run. I worry that chickens might not "think" about eating if they don;t 'see' the food right there - so I keep both in both places all of the time. It would be a big hassle for me to move feeders in and out.

 

[MimiChick]

I also have a playard coop (see my BYC page). I keep a hanging feeder and a raised waterer in the run area (heated dog bowl for the winter), but I also have a small bottle/nipple waterer and a cage cup with some food inside the coop/roost area in case I'm late letting them out in the morning. They are locked up at night for safety, and out in the run during the day at will. I let them free range when I'm home.
I think a lot depends on your setup, location, weather and personal preferences. Everyone seems to do it a little differently.
You can try different things until you find what works best for you and your chickens. Good Luck

 

[gsim]

I keep my feed inside in a trough, never outside for fear of attracting birds with diseases. I keep water in both places, and inside water is also in a trough. Mine are large for their ages and I do not restrict their diet at all, but I see to it that they get living greens every day since day 1. I never added calcium until I saw an egg at 16 weeks since they were getting their calcium from living greens. Have added calcium ever since. Good part of it is recycled egg shells via a hand-grinder and added back mixed into their feed.

Both troughs are made with pvc plastic house gutter with end caps, and fastened to walls at 8" drinking or eating ht for adult birds.

To the person with the giant roaches, leave some feed there for them in center of run and let the chickies eat them in AM. Haute causuine for chickens.

 

[prthll]

thank you all for so many responses. you guys are great. i too am afraid of roaches here in south texas...i might bring food in at night . the roaches only seem to show themselves at night. only 2 more weeks and i can move my 4 hens out into the coop!! cant wait

 

[blurose]

I do water outside, a 50gl barrel, and feeder inside. I got tired of feeding all the nightime critters like rats and the daytime wild birds so I put the food inside to be locked up at night. Also, my girls always want to get a little after-egg-laying snack before leaving the henhouse.