Getting ready to build a new chicken coop. Do you prefer to have the food/water inside the coop or outside the coop?

inside. It would be hard to keep water from freezing outside.

just

Inside with a heated water (covered) I put mine on the bigger patio blocks, with outside feed the wild birds will hammer the feed and mixing them with your birds could cause health issues with your birds.

Inside and out of the weather. Two gallon metal fount on a heater base in the winter.

We do have an outside water trough we run the coop rain spouts into during warm weather. The chickens prefer drinking out of there over the inside fount.

Inside as well.

Wow you all spoil them birds. Mine ruff it they are pest control agents. Couple handfuls of organic grain outside on the ground and a little water if it's not raining.

Inside Food in a 200# capacity Gravity feeder

Rubber water pan under Red heat light
Changed daily

They are going to spend years pumping out eggs for me the least I can do is offer them some comfort.

I put mine outside above freezing and inside during freezing conditions. One thing about those electric heaters are they are pretty aggressive. They suck juice.

I put a heat lamp (on a timer) directly above my watering bowl. That way it keeps the water open and if the bulb should break anything hot will land in the water and not on dry shavings. Not that heat lamp bulbs run for free either.

Double Duty^^^ like I do.

I ran 5 250wt bulbs 4 for waxed dirt 1 in the coop that ran the old electric bill up in a hurry. Plus I run a font heater plus I give them fresh at the hydrant unless it’s really cold.

I gave up on the font heaters, heater trays etc. Way too spendy and they don't last

Red 175watt bulb over the water pan is the cheapest
Or 1 -250 watt red

Watch them red heat lamps they don’t poof like a regular bulb they will spark for some time with dry chips it could be a problem. I had a bulb burn the cord off of the lamp when making dirt this year.

Six eggs out of 10 hens today.some of my girls are pushing 8 years only one hen under a year she was born last june her and two sibling cocks. These are all from stock I got in 06 and 08. We Butcher most of what I let hatch only keep a few back. Usually get hit by coyotes or fox every other year.or so. I keep good track and get right after the killer. Pretty proud of my girls and Romeo.

Inside, feed hung by cable to cut down on rodents. No heat needed on water.

With it outside your just inviting rats

No hot plate if you live down south.....Different story up here

No heat in the coop....we bought the Hearty Winter Birds...just a hot plate for the water....and hang the feeder on a cable....inside.

Old generator shed (lawn shed) 15 hole nest box, insulated top to bottom treated floor wired for electric.


12X24X8 run with a sliding door for cold weather to seal the coop tight if it goes subzero.

Always inside, preferably hanging. Otherwise you're just feeding the neighborhood. And all the rodents that are attracted to the grain will probably move into your house!