Water inside the coop? What do YOU do?

[annie3001]

i keep ours outside and inside the run.
i have 2 waters outside. 2 waters in the coops.
i have 2 feeds outside. 2 feeds in the coops.

kinda excessive i know. our coops are connected as the second one was an addition. so i want to be sure everyone is eating/drinking etc.

do you think if i had just one feed and water in the coop they would figure it out? i have been thinking on making my life easier?

 

[scarter]

Food and water inside coop. They could if they wanted to drink out of the other animals buckets and I've seen them do it if they want to since they free range. I can't stand the thought of raccoons and other critters drinking out of their waterer at night.

 

[33yardbirds]

YOU CAN GO LONGER WITHOUT FOOD THAN WATER!! I keep water available in the house on a 16x16x4 Cinder block along with a hanging feeder. Two waters on range since they spend all day out. No feed out side 'cause the birds and squirels(Sp) use it more than the chickens...............Remember that an egg is mostly water sooo water water everywhere.

 

[Keri78]

I use those black heavy rubber buckets from the tractor supply for water. All water stays outside b/c if not they make a mess with it. Those buckets are easy to fill and they are easy to dump the ice out in the winter. As far as feed goes...for my bantams I'm using large plastic hanging bird feeders to hold their feed. I keep them hung up in their runs(outside). For my standard size chickens who sleep in the barn and lay in the barn throughout the day but are free ranging all day and only locked up at night... I keep a large black rubber bucket filled with feed inside the barn.

I'd agree with others who have said that food needs to stay dry. Also their bedding needs to stay dry which is why I keep the water outside.

 

[triggfamily5]

In all my teenager and adult coops I have water in and out. Out in the run (that is closed at night) and out in the free range. Lots of water available out, they won't die of dehydration with all the water buckets, hanging waterers, goose tank and pools....

My grow-out coop has water in the run and outside the run b/c their coop is too small for a regular waterer inside, and I haven't gotten any push nipples yet to turn my Sunny-D container I am holding on to into a waterer for in the coop. When I do, they will have water in there, in the meantime, I don't close their pop door on the coop (I feel very secure with their run)

As for food, I keep food in the coop of the teenagers and adults, and treats/scraps either go in their run, or in the free range area. They munch on food I put out for the geese sometimes (before the geese run them off)

The babies have food in their coop, and a small bowl in a sheltered area out in the range ONLY b/c I have too many in that coop, and the pvc feeder I have in the coop doesn't hold enough for all of them (new coop is being built, big enough for everyone - 12 x 16)

Out here, food is not kept out b/c when it rains/snows, it comes sideways most of the time and I can't keep it dry, and don't want to waste it. I have no problem with them going in and out to eat, though mine mostly free range...

Water is a dire necessity, I don't care if it's -20 or 120.... water is always available here, the amount might vary depending on the season, but it's always available.

 

[horsefeathers09]

Food and water are located outside the coop only. I don't lock up my girls in the coop at night as they are in an enclosed environment. When it rains which is only about 12 times a year I move their food only to the coop - mostly only to keep it dry. They are in and out in the rain anyway - their choice.

 

[horsefeathers09]

annie, the only problem that could be a concern is that some birds might be bullied away from only one container of food and water. Mine seem to be ok with it, but in the past I certainly have had to put our food and water in many places. It's your call, you know your birds best.

 

[barredrockgrl]

Quote:
That is brilliant!

We do something similar here. I've found that gatorade bottles with the top cut off are perfect for the hole in the plastic waterer I use. Certainly has come in handy in the 100 degree heat we've had this week. I only provide water and food outside in the run. Then again, I have a very small flock and a much too large food and water container.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

I'm in a hot climate...just finished our run which is serving as Summer coop. We bought a TSC 10# divided tray/hanging feeder and DH made a hanging waterer from a 3 gallon kitty litter bucket and 4 nipple waterers for the 'run'. When we get our shed by the run remodeled it will become our Winter coop and these will go in it.

My husband has the materials to make a Rubbermaid 50#/PVC pipe feeder for the run and we plan to setup a larger water container outside the run with PVC pipe into the run with numerous nipple waterers. Time ran out before he went back to work yesterday so we had to 'make do'. I still have painting to do but housework requires my attention first...have company coming from out of state as well as my son coming this weekend.

ETA: I freeze water in 1 liter bottles and put these in the kitty litter bucket to chill the water. Also use the tip of a rabbit waterer on a frozen 1 litter bottle of water on the chicken tractor or hutches when I have a chicken in the 'time out' chamber!

Also I plan to put a couple of Rubbermaid storage type boxes in the run on their sides and put milk jugs that I filled with water and froze to help cool the birds...have a fan running but it does not do a lot when the humidity is high with all the Gulf moisture we are getting off of the tropical storm and from Hurricane Alex. I use the frozen milk jugs in the rabbit hutches, too. The girls snuggle up to them and lick the condensation off the outside...one rabbit loves to knock the jug over, pop the top off and drink the ice water. Smart bunny!

 

[peepinator]

I freeze water in gallon milk jugs and just put the whole thing in my 5 gallon buckets (I have one inside the coop and one in the run) of water to keep their water cool!!! It works perfect!...I have several jugs and just rotate the frozen ones to the water buckets and the thawed ones back to the freezer! No refilling of jugs is necessary. Works great! I also use frozen milk jugs of water for my coolers when we go camping...they're so reusable and you don't have to buy blocks of ice and there's no mess in the coolers either! Just my tip!

Oh...I have feed inside and outside...that is until winter, then it'll just be inside....since the chickens won't spend too much time outside and the water will just freeze out there. We live in Idaho and get massive snow...though part of the coop is under a roof so they have a place to be outside without snow.