what size feeder/waterer and hanging or not?

[Delphinium]

We are in the final stages of building our coop (I'll post pics soon). We have 4 girls with a 4' x 5' coop, and they'll have an enclosed run. I am confused about which feeder and waterer to purchase... what size do you prefer for a small backyard flock? I also think we'll want to hang both the feeder and the waterer... am I correct? I didn't realize that our local feed store doesn't carry a large selection of poultry waterers and feeders year round, so I am going to have to order online. Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Dutchess]

Hello Delphinium! I have 4 RIRs and use a 1 gallon feeder (I think, could be 2 ga.) and a 2 gal waterer. I place the feeder inside on a couple of 1"x1" boards or you can use a couple of bricks, to elevate the feeder off the shavings.
The waterer is setting on a water heating device to keep the water from freezing. It seems to be just the right height so you don't necessarily have to hang them. If you have the room (height) to hang them, do so. I personally don't have the hanging room in my coop, although it's about 4x4 the height of it is tapered due to the way the top is built.
Good luck and congratulations on your new coop! Enjoy!

 

[shopchicks]

You can purchase poultry watering nipples and screw them into the bottom of a 3 or 5 gallon bucket. Cheap and very effective. This is what I'm planning to do. If you get freezing temps, you can throw a bucket de-icer in there and keep the water from icing up.

Do a search on PVC Feeder here to get lots of ideas on easy ways to make auto feeders.