Water & Food Placement

[novastar]

Will be moving chicks to the coop in a couple weeks.
Question: do you keep food and water in both the coop and the run?

 

[evemfoster]

I keep water inside both the run and the coop. And food only inside the coop. This encourages the chickens to eat more grass and bugs. Though they don't really need the encouragement. Also placing the food inside keeps the food from being ruined from blowing rain.

I can close up the coop and keep out unwanted guests (rats, opossums, racoons.....) that show up in the middle of the night to eat the food. You can loose more food to thieves than the chickens can eat. Some of the thieves that show up at night collect feed and store it for later and can empty a 50 pound feeder in a couple days. So locking the feed inside with the chickens makes economical since.

 

[novastar]

Ok thank you!
I'm able to close up the coop as well. Do you use any special kind of feeder and waterer?

 

[evemfoster]

Just the plastic hanging feeder and water sold at the feed store. Hanging so i can adjust the height of the feeder without worrying about them getting knocked over.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

I only keep it in the coop where it's more sheltered from weather and predators. Only during times when I'm introducing new chickens do I put extra food and water out in the run. (I don't leave it out in the run overnight either.)