Where feeder should be - pros and cons

[RubelliteRose]

Newbie here... Do they not eat or drink at night when in the coop?

Nope, for the most part, my chickens sleep very soundly at night. Chickens have almost no night vision, so even if something wakes them up, they don't leave the roost until it is light enough for them to see.

 

[Devorah]

We keep our feeders in the run. The only time I have put a feeder in the coop is during weather so severe that the chickens don't leave the coop. Our run is predator proof, so we don't worry about them. To keep mice out of the food, we remove our feeders at night and store them in a large sealed plastic tote on the back porch. So far, the mice haven't found a way in the tote

Doesn’t that attract other predators?

 

[RubelliteRose]

Doesn’t that attract other predators?

Not that we have seen. Our house is about 40 feet from the coop and we also have a trail cam set up. As far as we can tell, we rarely have night time predators - we have never caught anything on camera and have only seen a racoon print once in some mud near the coop.
If you live in an area with more predators, especially large ones like bear, the back porch may not be the best place to store food though.

 

[Devorah]

Not that we have seen. Our house is about 40 feet from the coop and we also have a trail cam set up. As far as we can tell, we rarely have night time predators - we have never caught anything on camera and have only seen a racoon print once in some mud near the coop.
If you live in an area with more predators, especially large ones like bear, the back porch may not be the best place to store food though.

We live against woods which are home to many predators. A few weeks ago, a bear destroyed our bird feeders as we forgot to take them down post hibernation season … I guess I’m wondering whether there is a safe place for overnighting feed. We don’t have a garage. Perhaps a galvanized bin in the barn ..???

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I use a solar powered deer feeder with four feed settings out in the run. It is totally predator and weather proof. The waterer is a 12 gallon nipple waterer from TSC. Our run is secure so we don't use an automatic door either. You have to make your setup work for you and your situation.

Would you post a pic of your deer feeder system sometime? I am intrigued.
I have two auto feeders for deer that throws feed in a 25 ft radius..my only reference and I’d love to see how you use them for chickens in the run. Thanks!!

 

[RubelliteRose]

We live against woods which are home to many predators. A few weeks ago, a bear destroyed our bird feeders as we forgot to take them down post hibernation season … I guess I’m wondering whether there is a safe place for overnighting feed. We don’t have a garage. Perhaps a galvanized bin in the barn ..???

I'm not even sure when dealing with bear. As I'm sure you know, they can get into almost anything. We are very fortunate that while the Great Dismal Swamp just west of us has one of the largest concentrations of black bear on the east coast, the closest bear sighting to us has been about 5 miles away and that was only one time in the past 20 years of living in this area.
I know @azygous has had encounters with bear. Perhaps she has some advice for your food storage

 

[aart]

I guess I’m wondering whether there is a safe place for overnighting feed.

Inside a hot fence.

 

[Devorah]

Inside a hot fence.

Ahhhh …

 

[calboy147]

But don’t those hanging feeders have the problem of feed spilling out and waste? I guess there is no perfect solution and you have to pick your battles … thanks so much!

I went out one evening about dusk to retrieve the hanging feeders and to close the outside door to the run. I noticed a parade of rats climbing up the wire and down the cable to my hanging feeders.
I immediately began an eradication war.

 

[Devorah]

Inside a hot fence.

Wait … and rodents?!