Water and Food insides the coop or out?

[sodamancer]

My basic coop plans have drastically changed. A 5x5x4 two level coop with the ground level basically going to be like a run, open air and grass/ground beneath it. then i plan to have a 15x 10 full run as well, My questions are........where do i keep the food and water. Should it be inside the closed in part of the coop? Can it be just in the under area. Do i need to have water in both the inside and outer side?

thanks

 

[Tanith BHH]

I keep both water and food outside, but I put the food inside the coop at night. Both the food and water are under a shelter, though, to keep things from falling into it or from the food getting wet. I would also recommend having another water container inside the coop, though just don't put it under the perches and make sure the chickens can't tip it up - I've looked in the coop many a time and found all the straw/sawdust drenched!)

Have a nice time with your chickens!

 

[janinepeters]

Best to keep the feeder inside the coop, out of sight of birds, squirrels, etc. The chickens are smart enough to return to the coop when they want some feed. Keeping feeders out of sight helps prevent pest problems.

 

[chfite]

I keep the food inside, out of the rain. I keep the water outside. The nipples are under the edge of the coop so they can drink under shelter.

Chris

 

[ButchGood]

I like to keep my food outside during warm weather. Under my raised coop out of the weather. When it gets cold I feed inside and outside.

 

[nwmud]

I have kept my food inside alwasy and have NEVER had any mice/rats issues.
Many people I talk to have. When I was coordinating the coop of dreams tour - that was something I always asked.
and too many people who had food outside had rodents at times.
Ritch

 

[ButchGood]

I have kept my food inside alwasy and have NEVER had any mice/rats issues.
Many people I talk to have. When I was coordinating the coop of dreams tour - that was something I always asked.
and too many people who had food outside had rodents at times.
Ritch

Something to ponder there mud. I'll have to keep an eye out.

 

[Courts Clucks]

I have it both in and out. I usually don't leave the feeder out at night so no critters get any funny ideas of infiltrating my run.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

During the day the waterer and the feeder are both outside the coop, in the run. The birds will then spend the day forageing in the yard, going to the feeder or getting water.




At night the waterer and the feeder are then moved into the coop when I close them up for the night. They can drink and feed as needed. I have a drop pan under the waterer to keep the coop dry just in case they want to throw a beach party and try to flood the coop. I have ducks and they can flood a coop like nobody's business....You just never know.



Both the waterer and the feeder are set up on level cement blocks. The blocks are about even with the backs of the chickens. This helps to keep dirt, debris and mess from getting into the waterer and getting mixed into the feed. It doesn't totally stop it, but it has greatly lessoned it.

Once winter gets near and the temperatures start dropping, I'll invest in a heated waterer.

 

[spanky1205]

I keep all food inside the coop. I have been keeping a one gallon waterer outside and a gallong waterer inside. I just made a couple of buckets with nipples on the bottom this past weekend. My plans are to leave them inside and remove the old waterers completely once I am sure everyone has got things figured out and the old waterers are emptly.