water in the hen house?

[sara728]

Hi everyone,
I'm brand new here. Just adopted my first three hens yesterday - 11 month old barred rocks from a family who was moving and couldn't take them.
I'm in a slightly more rural area than they were kept before and am really worried about predators. They have a tractor style coop, so I worry about foxes being able to dig in. So, I have decided to shut them in the hen house at night to keep them safer. Their water is in the run, Will they need access to water during the night? Should I put a waterer in the hen house?
Thanks so much, in advance, for your input.
I'm sure I'll have LOTS more questions!!!
Sara

 

[chfite]

Chickens don't see well in the dark. They stay put. I don't consider it necessary to have food and water inside for them at night. Just the same, I keep the food inside. The water is outside. In this way, the food is out of the weather and away from visitors. The water can drip and wind up on the ground.

Chris

 

[BuffOrpington88]

It is true that they do not see well at night, but it is nice to have a waterer inside the coop in case you couldn't let them out early in the morning.

 

[EggyErin]

I have a waterer in the coop because they are always up and about before I let them out of the coop. I also have a waterer in our yard (they free-range) so they don't have to go back to the coop to drink.

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

I don't keep a waterer in the coop. I keep it in the run. Depending on the bedding you use, having a waterer in the coop can lead to a soggy mess to clean up.

 

[tlagnhoj]

I don't keep a waterer in the coop. I keep it in the run. Depending on the bedding you use, having a waterer in the coop can lead to a soggy mess to clean up.

^^^This^^^

I shut my hens in the coop in the winter (not so much in the warm months) and the bedding would be fouled in a day from them overturning the waterer. Now, if I had a stand-up coop with enough room for ME to move around in and to hang the waterer, I'd have one in there too.

The short time they have to wait in the morning for you to let them out to get some water isn't going to hurt them.

 

[t/m]

and

from SW Virginia area