[CWatters]

..access to water when locked up at night?

We're just starting out with three hens. Someone told us we should put some water in the nesting/perching box as well as the main run. Others say they don't bother/need it. We've been putting some in each night but hard to know if they drink it or just paddle in it and make a mess. What say the old hands?

[Foxy]

less of the "old hands" CWatters! But no, most of us leave the water outside

[dizzylizzie]

Im with Foxy...i dont put water in at night, but people do, each to their own i suppose

[hillfooter]

Me too, no water in the house at night.  It's likely to cause more problems wetting the litter in a small ark and you should change wet litter if this happens.

Regards
HF

[joyfull]

No food or water overnight 
and I have very old hands 

[SMD66]

when they go in to roost they go to sleep, most wouldn't bother with a glass of water by the bed!  They wait till morning.

My hands look older than they should 

[ehs284]

I worried about this just in case it was impossible to let them out at daybreak so I cut into the side of the perching area and made supports for small plastic food and water trays. These are covered to keep out draughts etc. Seems to work well, they can't tip them over and any spillages are outside the coop. They do seem to use them as the levels do go down.

[Bigblacktaximan]

I don't put food or water in the coop itself.

Its not my hands that are old,  it's the rest of me thats aged prematurely 

[hillfooter]

No food or water overnight  
and I have very old hands  

Strange place to post a ransome demand!........I hope interpol aren't looking in, the German police have being searching everywhere for where the kidnapers have hidden the poor old boy!

[LittleRedHen]

No food or water for my girls either.  They've thinned out a bit, but seem healthy enough!

[viettaclark]

No food or water at night for mine too. They're hungry when they come out so they have to eat pellets and grass until lunchtime when they get out out.

[karlooben]

i'm afraid i have to be the odd oout  { dont u say it guys } i give mine a handful of food an leave water in all night , they all seem to dive in for a drink and nibbles before they hit the perches 

[North Devon Dumpling]

Ours have water but no food, but they have a big outbuilding that they live in (well big for hens) so there is lots of room.   Its in one of those water resevoir things so they don't splash it about. 

[raeburg]

mine kept knocking the water over, so none in at nigh now.

[CWatters]

Thanks for all the replies.

Our three hens are allowed to roam the garden in the daytime but at night they are confined to a coop.

I'm planning on building a frost free automatic waterer for them using an aquarium heater and a small pump.  If I don't have to provide water at night it's a bit earier to plumb.