Where to place waterers and feeders

[MoonShadows]

Should waterers and feeders be placed in the coop, the run, or both?

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm a total newb, but in what I've read I can find no downsides to doing what you need to do to make sure that you can access feeders, waterers, and nest boxes from outside the chicken's area.

 

[QuietPony]

I plan on having one in the run and one in the coop. I know there will be days where the weather will keep them inside the coop so they will need something in there. I'm only having a small flock though so feeders will not be to big.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Pure personal preference. You’ll find some of us have feeders inside, some outside, and some in both places. The only rule is that it needs to stay dry. And even then some people purposely wet their feed. There are advantages and disadvantages to all three.

If it is inside, they will spend more time inside. Chickens poop a lot wherever they are. If they spend more time inside you might find yourself managing the poop a bit more than otherwise. Might. Depends on number of chickens, size of the coop, and how you manage the bedding and poop anyway.

Some people find if they put food outside they wind up feeding a lot of wild birds.

Some people feed outside to try to not attract mice inside the coop.

If you let your chickens out fairly soon after they wake up, it doesn’t matter. But if you like to sleep in on the weekend or they wind up locked in the coop for a long period after they wake up, it’s probably a good idea to have feed inside where they can get to it. Water works the same way.

Feeders can take up floor space. When chickens fly down from the roosts, they need a certain amount of clear floor space to land. Hopefully your coop won’t be so small that this becomes an issue but I’ll mention it anyway. Also, the feeder and waterer need to be positioned so the chickens cannot poop in it from the roosts. Is your coop big enough to accommodate this?

What is your climate like? Will the chickens be able to get outside to eat in all weather? This somewhat depends on how you build your run to keep snow out if snow is a consideration.

If you integrate other chickens, it makes integration go easier if they have separate feeding and watering locations. It avoids conflict.

 

[Going Quackers]

Depends on your set-up and i think your weather. For us it's in both BUT the run isn't attached lol I have a small hanging feeder so it doesn't get dirty and my coop is roomy on purpose.

In the run i have a hanging feeder with a lid to help reduce the snow, rain, sleet etc from getting into it that said it comes in every single night.

The water in the coop is heated, the runs is not so requires help on those lovely cold days or they get ice with their drink which they are just not that fond of lol

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I feed pellets inside the coop only for several reasons. I don't want to encourage pests or predators by food being in the run - I want the pellets to stay out of the rain/snow and wind - and there are days the girls don't want to go into the run [bad rain or any trace of snow] so it's available to them inside the coop.

Treats I feed in the run as they're usually in a small amount and will be totally consumed.

Water I keep both in the coop and in the run and make sure both are always clean and full.

 

[breezmist]

I am struggling with that same question! Here is my double coop.

 

[MoonShadows]

I decided to go with both inside and outside placements. I bought both systems from QC Supply.

Inside: Cost $20.89



Outside: Cost $29.94


As of now, I will use both when the weather is above freezing, and probably just the bucket in the coop with an aquarium heater when the weather is below freezing.