Where to place food and water?

[StrawberryMoon]

Where does the food and water go? Does it go inside the coop, or does it go in the run? I've read cons to both. I was hoping to install some gravity feeders similar to "dine a chook" and leave them out all the time. I would like to encourage them to spend most of their time in the run, so I like the idea of having the food outside. Plus I've read that having water inside the coop makes the humidity problem worse. But, if I leave them outside, I've read that rodents will have a hay day all night long. Thoughts? What works for you?

 

[MrDeMaistre]

The first imperative for food is that it be kept dry, so it doesn't get moldy. The first imperative for water, paradoxically, is that it stay wet. Life is indeed mysterious.

We keep layer pellets in a old galvanized hanging cyclindrical gizmo in the henhouse. We throw scratch (and garbage, on occasion) around the dooryard each morning to get the girls (and boys) started on their daily foraging. We keep a full water bucket here and there around the yard for the geese to water-swizzle their heads: one of life's great pleasures for them, it seems. We keep our no-freeze bucket in the hen house all winter to save a few pennies on the electric bill and so that the birds can enjoy a cocktail of a winter's evening. Wherever the water is, we keep it fresh: that's the main thing, really.

As to preventing non-chickens from stealing food: lotsa luck on that one. You put out free food, you're gonna get freeloaders, mister, not to get political.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Both the food and water are in the run. I usually take the food and put it in the garage at night when I lock them up.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Where does the food and water go?

It is a personal preference. I live in Canada winters are severe and birds do not leave the coop. I keep my feed inside summer and winter. It keeps rodents and wild birds away. I water outside 6 months of the year and inside during the winter months. I do feed scraps and molded bread to the chickens in the run which is gone usually in a matter of minutes.

 

[aart]

I keep their no waste feeder and sealed(no evaporation) heatable horizontal nipple waterer inside the coop all year around.
Food stays dry, no wild birds, easier for me to refill them both.
But I have a large coop, plenty of room for feeder, waterer, and separate storage area.

Scratch and other foods get tossed out in run, as well as ice pans in summer.

 

[DLE140]

I keep their no waste feeder and sealed(no evaporation) heatable horizontal nipple waterer inside the coop all year around.
Food stays dry, no wild birds, easier for me to refill them both.
But I have a large coop, plenty of room for feeder, waterer, and separate storage area.

Scratch and other foods get tossed out in run, as well as ice pans in summer.

I also keep my no waste feeder inside but keep my horizontal nipple waterer outside in the run. Has worked well for me so far.

 

[blackdog043]

I keep their no waste feeder and sealed(no evaporation) heatable horizontal nipple waterer inside the coop all year around.
Food stays dry, no wild birds, easier for me to refill them both.
But I have a large coop, plenty of room for feeder, waterer, and separate storage area.

Scratch and other foods get tossed out in run, as well as ice pans in summer.

Same here like "aart" no waste feeder & horizontal nipple waterer in coop, I have an 8 x 12 coop. All my supplies are stored in my shed next to the coop.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We keep water in the run, feed in the coop.

Reasons... want to keep the coop dry, especially in winter, so water is outdoors. Even though the run is covered, rain/snow sometimes blows in and want to keep the food dry so feed is indoors.

 

[TwinkleChicken]

You should place the food and water close to each other, but never right next to each other, because the food could fall into the water, and vice verca.

 

[misskes]

I have food and water in their run only. This picture isn't the best for showing off their set up but the blue bucket has those neat little cups screwed on to it so they can peck the water to get it to come out and the food is in PVC pipes that have a pop off lid. I have 6 chickens and I only have to replenish everything once a week.