[Sarah J]

hello all!
i have had my chickens (7 of them) for 5 days now and cant decide where is best to put their feeder (with the layers pellets in).
i keep it out side in their run at the moment (and then put it in a metal bin in our outhouse when they have gone to bed) but do feel a wee bit bad watching leave the comfort of their house to eat thier breakfast in the wind and rain.
i had been told that putting the food in with them might encourage rats etc as it would likey get spilled.
would appreciate your advice...
thanks
sarah

[muntjac]

outside is fine ,,,,,, chickens are dont wory so long as they get fed mine have always been outside hung from a wire about 6 inch from the floor .with a good lid on id you cant get a lid use an old emulsion lid or similar just drill a hole in to take the wire and spring

[Vember]

I leave feed out but mine are in a huge area an there's alot of them Geese, ducks, chickens  and guinea fowl so it's easier for me, but i do leave some in there houses at night

Welcome to the Hen House  

[Porffor]

I read that they don't eat in their house.. just go to sleep and that's that.. so hadn't bothered putting any in. Or water.

The water is in the centre of the run - as they don't scratch there are the moment.

The feeder - i have put in a dog carrier as a shelter.. stops it getting gunked up with the rain, and thought both hens could fit in there with it, but they only ever go in one at a time to eat. in the rain though they go right in to eat.

Hubby is planning a wooden shelter in which the feed will be housed to keep dry though - open sided.

I don't take the feed in at night though.. not sure if this is wise or not - would appreciate advice.

[muntjac]

hens need acces to water at all times they need it to produce eggs  

[Porffor]

oh ok Thanks again! lol I'll get a smaller one for the house then - the ones that you put on a pop bottle - do you know if they are any good?

[peggyprice]

oh ok Thanks again! lol I'll get a smaller one for the house then - the ones that you put on a pop bottle - do you know if they are any good?

If you mean the ones that fix onto the netting and you turn the pop bottle upside down, I got one but wasn't too thrilled - it spills a lot when you fix it up and sometimes I found the reservoir at the bottom tips the wrong way and is left dry ... all far too much hassle.

I like NP's idea of just cutting a hole in a pop bottle - presumably about two thirds of the way up - so you're not messing around turning things upside down and taking off lids, and the chooks can just stick their heads in for a drink.  As long as you can find a way of making sure it doesn't get knocked over I'd have thought it would be ideal for inside the hen house ...

[kizza]

Depends what type of feeder you have? If it  is an open topped one then yes the hens will climb on top and scrat it around and scatter it all over the floor. The best bet is a conventional feeder like a tube with a wider base that allows food out at the rate of which the hens eat it. Fill it up with feed, they have access to this 24/7 as it could be placed on bricks or hung from the roof of the shed around 6/7 inches from the floor. This i have found the best method as have many other chook keepers. As for water, same as what Munty says. They need it 24/7 Leave it in their shed along with the food. It is needed for the process of making eggs. Ive read that a chook without water for 12 hours, and then given water could possibly not produce an egg for 2-3 days.

[Sarah J]

ah thanks everyone! very helpful and speedy replies!
i bought  large feeder  and drinker, when i got the chickens - like an upside down mushroom, green base and white top, and same for the water, they said its like  vacuum effect and will let water/food out as  they use it.  think i will get a small one of each to put in their house when they go to bed too!

am loving this site - have been lurking for a while before i got the girls and picked up some good tips about housing etc!
thanks again!
sarah

[Porffor]

Thanks for the opinions/tips on options for the house. I'll pop their water in with them tonight. Thing that bothered me was 'room' as it's only small, but I had figured it'd be ok for 3 hens, as it is big enough to give 1 square foot per bird as recommended. As it only has 2, then that'll be enough for the feed and water.

I also have the upside down feeders.. water has one point for pouring and the feed has multiple points. Seem to work well and it marvelled me that they were cheap - compared to that sort of option for a dog! lol
Neither hang up though, so will have to go on the floor, but the girls sit perched near the door at night (i know by their droppings) so will put them at the back.

Thanks again.

[muntjac]

oh ok Thanks again! lol I'll get a smaller one for the house then - the ones that you put on a pop bottle - do you know if they are any good?

 i just leave a pan of water or a prope drinker .... nowt to special,.chucks dont do posh  

[KittyBoo]

I hung the feeder inside their shed and thought they were getting through alot of feed.
When I was in the garden having a cuppa and a sit down, I noticed a blackbird going up the ramp into their house.
Obviously sussed out there's a buffet lunch in there.
Cheek of it - but it did make me smile.

[GrannieAnnie]

I don't usually leave their drinkers in the sheds as they spill the water and make their straw and shavings wet, but they still lay okay.  And their feeders are inside as we don't have rainhats for them.  The meat chooks hae semi auto drinkers insie, but even ballasted out, they still manage to spill water everywhere when they decide to go loopy!!!!

[Porffor]

oh ok Thanks again! lol I'll get a smaller one for the house then - the ones that you put on a pop bottle - do you know if they are any good?

 i just leave a pan of water or a prope drinker .... nowt to special,.chucks dont do posh  

Thanks Muntjac
at the 'don't do posh' sounds like it should be my motto! lol

I settled on a white 'cup' style that hooks onto metal - as we have mesh inside the door - as it was an old hutch (now has wood filling in from the front) saves room as the drinker we have in the run is quite big. still means they have water if they need it though.