Where do these things go?

[Teacherpea]

Hey everyone,
I'm a little confused as to where I should put the girls' feeder and waterer. I have read several things, but I can't really tell which is the best. The coop is 6x6 for six chickens; they are just over five weeks, and they are fully feathered. My husband has also built a run attached to the coop. So, if someone would consider sharing his/her thoughts and answering some of my questions, I would really appreciate it.

1. I thought about putting the food and water out in the run, but won't that be a problem at night with the critters? We've had a bear hanging around pretty persistently for the last several weeks, not to mention the other regulars.

2. Also, if I put the food/water in the run, do I need to have additional food/water in the coop?

3. If I leave the food/water in the coop, do I just leave the pop door open for them to go in and out?

4. What's the best way for preventing food spoilage if the feeder is outside?

5. I plan to have them in the coop by Wednesday, 6/5- so what is the best way to do this? I've read where several folks have said that you should close them up in the coop for about a week, so they know that is where they go to sleep.

6. If so (#5), do you let them out at all during that week in to their run? (I'm worried about it getting too stuffy in there.)

Any other advice you have on this will be much appreciated. I'm sure I'll have more questions soon! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How exciting! That sounds like a really nice sized coop for your chickens.

Different people like to do it different ways. The chickens will be fine no matter what you do. You can change how you do it later, too. They'll be fine with you changing things around, too.

I like the food in the coop, so that it doesn't get wet or eaten by the local wildlife. We have a lot of rain, snow and wildlife here. I have water in the coop, too. In warm/hot weather, they also have a bowl of water out in the run, as well as water out on the property.

When putting new chickens out in a coop that's new to them, I don't free range right away. I do leave the door between the coop and run open during the day. I check them at dusk. If they aren't heading back into the coop, I put them in. Usually, most go back inside on their own from the beginning. Hey, that's where the food is!

Everything is a learning experience for them when they are young or even in a new environment. If you have a ladder or a steep ramp, sometimes they need a little more time or help to learn to navigate it. I just place them close to the end they are headed for, to help them get used to it.

If you're worried about it being too stuffy in the coop during the day, you might want to check on the amount of ventilation you have in the coop. A lot of coops don't have enough or large enough openings for ventilation. Especially during hot weather.

 

[Teacherpea]

How exciting! That sounds like a really nice sized coop for your chickens.

Different people like to do it different ways. The chickens will be fine no matter what you do. You can change how you do it later, too. They'll be fine with you changing things around, too.

I like the food in the coop, so that it doesn't get wet or eaten by the local wildlife. We have a lot of rain, snow and wildlife here. I have water in the coop, too. In warm/hot weather, they also have a bowl of water out in the run, as well as water out on the property.

When putting new chickens out in a coop that's new to them, I don't free range right away. I do leave the door between the coop and run open during the day. I check them at dusk. If they aren't heading back into the coop, I put them in. Usually, most go back inside on their own from the beginning. Hey, that's where the food is!

Everything is a learning experience for them when they are young or even in a new environment. If you have a ladder or a steep ramp, sometimes they need a little more time or help to learn to navigate it. I just place them close to the end they are headed for, to help them get used to it.

If you're worried about it being too stuffy in the coop during the day, you might want to check on the amount of ventilation you have in the coop. A lot of coops don't have enough or large enough openings for ventilation. Especially during hot weather.

Thank you so much; I feel good about your advice! I took them out in to their run today, and all but my little Ruby (RIR) loved it. She stayed on my lap for most of the time! Do you have a light in yours? The reason I'm curious is because I've had their heat lamp off the last couple of days, and when I turn off the overhead light at nighttime, they go crazy. Tonight they all huddled together, stepping on top of each other. I was worried they would suffocate each other, so I turned the heat lamp back on but angled it away from the brooder. I'm gonna try and sneak back in there and turn it off since they're sleeping now. Haha! = )