Watering System and Feeder Inside or Outside or Both?

[WA_RN]

We are new chicken parents in the process of building our first coop. Our hen house is 8 X 6 and then enclosed run 8 X 16 and we are located in Western WA. I've scoured all the great info here and past threads on watering and feeding systems but am still unsure on placement of the feeder and water system. Inside and outside or just inside or just outside? Any advice appreciated!

 

[Bridget B]

I have the same question. I am also new and we are planning the coop. I can imagine that having water in the coop could cause problems with the.floor being wet all of the time and possible mold issues. I hope some one answers the question. I know the folks here are super helpful.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do what makes sense in your set up, as far as space available, what your climate is like, etc. I keep my feeder inside the coop to keep it dry, and waterer outside to keep the coop dry. If you're in a very hot climate, having water inside (especially if the coop stays locked until later in morning) is a good idea. If your coop is very tight on space, having both outside is a logical option, etc.

 

[Amylynn007]

We are new chicken parents in the process of building our first coop. Our hen house is 8 X 6 and then enclosed run 8 X 16 and we are located in Western WA. I've scoured all the great info here and past threads on watering and feeding systems but am still unsure on placement of the feeder and water system. Inside and outside or just inside or just outside? Any advice appreciated!

I'm in the same area as you are and I keep both outside. It worked for our set-up. The food is in an automatic gravity feeder under the coop to protect it from elements and the water is in a bucket with horizontal nipples within the run. Since the girls are still young, I have been leaving them in the coop for a little longer in the mornings, but place a small, portable feeder and waterer in their coop the night before. It's really up to you, though!

 

[wamtazlady]

I used to live in Western WA. As long as you have a covered run you can do either. You don't want the food getting wet in the rain. Also, if you lock the chickens up at night and do not wake up early to let them out, then having food and water in the coop is a good idea. I keep both my food and water in the run. The girls don't do midnight snacks.

 

[PDXChook]

I just googled the same question! Just finishing up our 4'x4' coop with 8'x4' run. I'm going with both. Planning on setting up a system fed by a 5 gallon bucket and then having 2 watering cups inside and 2 in the run.

Can anyone vouch for or against these watering cups? I just got a set of 5 from eBay.

 

[wamtazlady]

I just googled the same question! Just finishing up our 4'x4' coop with 8'x4' run. I'm going with both. Planning on setting up a system fed by a 5 gallon bucket and then having 2 watering cups inside and 2 in the run.

Can anyone vouch for or against these watering cups? I just got a set of 5 from eBay.

Depends on where you live. If you live in an area that freezes in the winter, those cups will freeze no matter what you do. Cups also get dirty. You will have to clean them regularly. I live in northern MT. I use horizontal nipples. They work best for an area that has cold winters.

 

[Basia St Clair]

I have these same questions! I keep food and water inside the coop, and water only outside. Its been a week. The chicks are very happy. Oddly enough, even with water in the coop, they seem to like the outside water better. The outside waterer is one of those with the hanging nipples and the inside water tends to get dirty as its the one that has the mason jar on top of the bottom waterer.

 

[amk122284]

We will be moving our chicks to the coop in the next 2-3 weeks. My plan is to have a small water in the coop, just because I'm the type of person that is overly empathetic and hate the idea of then not having water if they are up earlier than us. I plan to keep food in the coop as well because of critters. We may be in a bit of a different situation though as our coop is all concrete floor with garage floor liner so if it gets wet it's not a big issue. Coop is 7x12 and run is 10x16