I've seen mixed suggestions so was wondering what everyone's reasons were. Should I provide feed and water inside the coop or outside? My coop door will be on a timer so I guess this will also dictate if the door stays open throughout the day or closes after the chickens leave. Right now, I was thinking about water both inside and outside, but feed only inside. I would set the timer to leave the doors open for a couple of hours in the AM and open a couple of hours before sunset in the PM. I was hoping this would limit other things getting at the food and also encourage all birds back into the coop in the PM since they would only be foraging throughout the day (they'll have plenty of foraging room..about 1/2 acre). What's everyone's thoughts on this plan?
I would say not to close the ladies out of the henhouse during the day as it can offer them a safe place to get out of bad weather and flee to from predators. Also, where are their nesting boxes? My ladies lay when they are ready to lay not just in the morning. So, you might be going on an egg hunt otherwise... Keeping the feed dry and out of reach from rodents is important so, yeah, hanging it inside is a good way to accomplish those things. I keep water both in and out of the coop.
Their nesting boxes are inside. Good pt about the egg hunt and weather. I'm not as worried about predators, b/c my dogs are in the yard. I guess my big concerns are rodents (their feeders are going to be homemade pvc feeders attached to the wall) and birds deciding to roost in a tree instead of the coop at night b/c their area is basically completely wooded. I get home after dark a few nights a week, so I wouldn't be able to go find anyone that doesn't make it in the coop.
Food inside out of the weather and away from other birds. Water outside to accommodate spills. I doubt that chickens eat or drink at night. My coop is open for the chickens all day so that they can seek shelter or come in to lay. Mine lay at all sorts of times during the day, so closing the coop with the nesting boxes seems to be a bad idea. Chris
