Water and food inside coop?

[ChicKat]

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congratulations on the new chickens! Part of the answer to your question depends on your coop setup. It sounds like you have a northern climate with that short of daylight hours. Some folks chickens actually 'live' indoors in their coop in the winter. In that case, and if you have room, and you may not be out there really early, it is probably a good idea to have food and water available. During darkness they will not be eating or drinking. They could knock it over if it isn't suspended or attached to a wall or something.

Folks in warmer climates sometimes don't even have coop proper, but have a run in shelter, or a three sided arrangement. My chickens go in only to lay eggs and sleep and the rest of the time they are out doors. However, when I first go my first three, one guarded the food and water for herself, and terrorized the other two, so I put food and water inside the tiny coop--so the two younger ones could eat and drink at the opposite end. Now all three are the best of pals....so there is no need for that.

 

[boogiedog]

I have food and water in the coop 24/7, and outside in the run as well. Outside I have the food up on a couple of levels of bricks, and to keep it dry I bought a $4 small plastic "yard" side table from the drug store and put it over the food. Fit over it PERFECTLY and keep the rain out of the food. The ladies do sometimes sit on top of it and poop, but at least they aren't sitting on the feeder rim and pooping in the food. (Inside I have the food hanging, and because it can move the ladies don't sit on top of it.) No more wasted food!

 

[Marcymom3]

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Great idea!

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

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Great idea!

I agree! I have been planning and planning for weeks how I want my coop to be set up before the arrival of my chickens next month. I bet I've made up and then turned around and changed my mind about a dozen times...lol.

This seems like it would be the best way. Thanks boogiedog!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

I keep the water inside the coop and the food in the run. when I lock them up i move the food into the coop...just in case I don't get out there to open it up right away in the a.m. AND so that it doesn't attract mice and rats in the run at night.

 

[chicks and hens2]

I prefer (and they prefer to be )my chickens to be outside when possible so now that they are all old enough to be out in the elements ( they have a partially covered run so they can get out of the wind and rain ) I keep their food and water etc outside. When the weather is bad, I also puts some inside the coop.