Water inside the coop? What do YOU do?

[Yay Chicks!]

I only have four girls. I have the larger feeder and waterer in the run and a smaller set in the coop. That way if they wake up before I do, they have something available. Plus, sometimes they will get spooked during the day and run into the coop (it's small) and I want them to have water.

 

[ourlittleflock]

I keep water and food on the inside - away from rain and sun - their doors are left open during the day so they may journey in and out to drink, eat or even leave us an egg... During the hot summer days I fill their waterers with ice and then cold water.. It in turns gives them drinking water right then and as the day heats - they still have cold melting water from the ice....

 

[annie3001]

Quote:
thanks, guess ill keep doing what i am doing.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Depends on the time of year and the chickens.

For my main coop, I used to have water inside and out. Food is inside only. But I notice they don't drink the water inside, but kick shavings in it constantly. (even with it elevated) So I spend more time cleaning it and they don't drink out of it. Now if I had a broody, there would be water in there. So this time of year, no water inside, but I have an automatic door that opens before they are even off the roost. So I don't have to worry about them being without water. But in the winter, I do put water inside as it doesn't freeze as much and they spend more time inside then. Then I take the outside waterer inside my house for the night and put it back out in the morning to keep it from freezing.

Now for my small coop, I have water inside. (food too) I try putting water outside for them, but the crazy birds almost always knock it over.

 

[Andrew1982]

water and feed in the run until morning.

 

[woodmort]

Feed inside in a big bucket feeder--I don't want to attract crows and other flying varmints. Water inside since the birds have to wait for me to let them out in the am as well as keeping them locked down if we're out of town. I figure they are smart enough to find their way back into the coop when they need to drink. When they are free ranging outside the yard they can get water from the pond or the gray water outlet from the laundry/kitchen--hasn't seemed to bother them in 25 years.

 

[flockof4]

food/water inside. water/scratch outside

 

[chicnchic]

Quote:

I'm just starting, but this is my plan...right now they're still little and still in just the hen house ....

 

[AlbionWood]

The gurlz' coop is pretty much just for roosting in, so there's no food inside. I did make a small hanging waterer to put inside when I was still closing them in at night, but now I leave the door open so they can go in and out as they please. Food and water outside in the large yard, which is completely surrounded by a fence with a hot wire on the outside... and there's a wire around the bottom of the coop, too, just in case... that's why I don't lock them in at night.

 

[Tater n Beans]

We have water both inside and out as well as a large kiddie pool for the ducks during the day. We only feed outside and it is rationed into 2 feed pans daily, the rest of the time they forage.