water at night time

[Jackie 10 hens]

Im putting the chickens in the coop at night...should I put food and water in there to.... I don't lock them up until about 8 pm...and I let out at 7 am...what should I be doing at night .

Thanks Jackie10

 

[auburn]

We leave ours with water just in case they get thirsty, or the coop gets hot. Originally we left their food outside in the run but it began to attract raccoons, and we didn't want them getting too curious. So now we lock the food in the coop with them.

 

[Den in Penn]

What the chickens are doing, sleeping. Sorry couldn't resist that. They will be sleeping at night so unless you have a owl cross in there you don't have to put food and water in there at night. I like to have water in the coop just in case I'm late leaving them out. It really depends on what you prefer to do.

 

[Kelsie2290]

It is mostly personal preference. A lot depends on your set up and when you close and open the coop in relation to when the chickens are active (not time so much since daylight hours vary by time of year). If the chickens are roosting when you are closing and opening the coop, you don't need food or water in there. If they are in the coop awake for any amount of time, especially in the morning, I would have food and water available, mine can get can get pretty cranky if they are hungry and no food available, and nowhere to go.

 

[lazy gardener]

My girls yell when they want out of their loft. It's not an option to leave them shut up any longer than they want to be, so I trundle out of bed at 0:dark30 and go let them out of their loft. I choose not to put the food and water in their loft, as they spend very little time in there. But I do cover their FF at night to be sure the wild life doesn't get into it.

 

[TTracy]

I think its important that water always be available.