When do chickens need to have access to food 24/7?

[Flockincrazy]

Mine have food and water access 24/7 from day 1 I've always done it like that

 

[rosemarythyme]

Mine have food/water around the clock until they're old enough to move into the coop. So currently that'd be around 4 weeks of age.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

My chickens are 10 1/2 weeks old now. I have 2 large feeders in the coup with a 5 gallon water container. They stay in the coup 24/7. I have seen different ones feeding their chickens after they let them out of the coup in the mornings.
Is this a preference thing? Or do most give them 24/7 access only when they're up to a certain age?

Thanks.

Hi. I have tried to poll as many chicken keepers that are trusted friends of mine that I respect their practices and those also on BYC and also researched as much as I could. This is what I do with my ten week olds who have just recently been placed out in their new coop and run. I leave water available at all times in the coop just in case because I live in Mississippi and it has been beyond hot and humid and I am often checking on them even at night when the day has had induces in the 105t especially. I do not usually leave food down in order to eliminate a rodent problem before one starts. If I think that they have not been able to eat well because of the heat I would give them an opportunity to eat before I turn all lights off late in the evening some by leaving some down in the coop or giving them a cold treat outside at dusk and some grit free choice to be on the safe side. Probably over kill but with this heat I would rather take these precautions than have a dead chick. Oh and I keep save a chick electrolytes in the water in the coop and fresh plain water.
Then normally I place fresh food out in the run in a cup system to prevent ants because we have such a fire ant problem here. This idea was given to me by a great fellow BYC friend on here wyorp rock which has been a life saver and even if the hens flock food out of the cups some it is very little and they usually clean it up themselves with very little waste and no ant attractant. You can serve mash this way in the winter and feed your tallest hens or roosters to your tiniest chicks this way. I am so proud of my cup system and it is nothing elaborate but such a useful and easy to setup idea that works so well for me and my hens. The thing I like most is you can easily measure how much food your hens are actually eating everyday because you are putting it in the cups and measuring out and can measure what you take up and can reuse if it doesn’t get spoiled or soured. I don’t put the feed that I put out back into my new feed storage container but hold it in a resealable five gallon bucket for using up the next day.

 

[CatsandCrops]

They have access to water and food 24/7; it made the most sense for us to ensure they were properly taken care of, even when we work 12 or 24 hour shifts.

We have the food set up in PVC pipe feeders inside of their coop, a waterer system inside of their coop (along with 2 smaller PVC pipe feeders that hold grit and oyster shells) and have a larger 5 gallon waterer outside in their fully enclosed run. I wanted two sources of water in case something happened to one of them (the worry wart in me). We also feed them fermented food in the mornings and kitchen scraps as they come.

 

[Ann With A Plan]

Oh and why, at that age are they in the coop 24/7? Do you not have a chicken run for them to get out in?

As Bear978 said, Food and water are in the coop 24/7. I have a 100 foot Premier One fencing system that I set up maybe 3/4 of the way and then 100% a couple of days ago. I had 12 chicks, one has severe crooked jaw, and got 2 more chickens a couple of days ago that are 2 weeks older..

 

[Ann With A Plan]

Thank you, all!

 

[Ann With A Plan]

They have access to water and food 24/7; it made the most sense for us to ensure they were properly taken care of, even when we work 12 or 24 hour shifts.

We have the food set up in PVC pipe feeders inside of their coop, a waterer system inside of their coop (along with 2 smaller PVC pipe feeders that hold grit and oyster shells) and have a larger 5 gallon waterer outside in their fully enclosed run. I wanted two sources of water in case something happened to one of them (the worry wart in me). We also feed them fermented food in the mornings and kitchen scraps as they come.

The coop had a large pipe for food but I took it out and hung two large feeders in there so they all could get food at the same time. It also has a pipe system for water and nipples underneath. Several chicks have used them but I also wanted two sources just in case. Thanks.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

If you have a girl with scissor beak i would definitley look food all the time. They general take more time to eat and eat more often. Because my goats and chickens are in the same fenced yard I cant leave food available all the time. Chicken feed is very bad for goats. My chickens dont sleep in the coop. They roost in a tree within the yard. Their choice not mine. Anyway...i throw out about a gallon of feed (pellets or crumbles) in a thin layer on the ground in the morning. I have 30+ chickens. They have plenty of space to find lot if bugs and other yummies through out the day and I feed them again at 6ish pm. They also get random scraps throughout the day.

 

[Ann With A Plan]

If you have a girl with scissor beak i would definitley look food all the time. They general take more time to eat and eat more often. Because my goats and chickens are in the same fenced yard I cant leave food available all the time. Chicken feed is very bad for goats. My chickens dont sleep in the coop. They roost in a tree within the yard. Their choice not mine. Anyway...i throw out about a gallon of feed (pellets or crumbles) in a thin layer on the ground in the morning. I have 30+ chickens. They have plenty of space to find lot if bugs and other yummies through out the day and I feed them again at 6ish pm. They also get random scraps throughout the day.

Oh right, she is the same age but the smallest, hasn't grown much. She can find worms bit can't pick them up. I try to give her several a day at least, but draping it over the lower beak so she can work it into her mouth. She is always hungry and has to bury her beak into the food to get it scooped into her mouth.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

Oh right, she is the same age but the smallest, hasn't grown much. She can find worms bit can't pick them up. I try to give her several a day at least, but draping it over the lower beak so she can work it into her mouth. She is always hungry and has to bury her beak into the food to get it scooped into her mouth.

Wet mash is easier for them to eat. sometimes would hand feed putting little bits in her beak for her. We lost our little scissor beak, Mary. We named her after mary Sanderson from hocus pocus. She was the sweetest girl. Loved being mammas girl.