Why you shouldn’t keep food and water in your chicken coop.
Whether or not I should keep food and water in my chicken coop was something that I contemplated when our coop was being built. I wasn’t sure if we would lock them in at night or if we would let them put themselves to sleep, and I kept mulling over in my brain whether or not they would be thirsty or hungry at night. I would start to feel bad for them, thinking to myself, “What if they need water at night and can’t get to it?”. After some contemplation, we decided we would leave our chicken coop door open, and we ensured that our run was protected from all angles and skirted appropriately with hardware cloth. We also decided to roof our run and my fears of thirsty chickens in the middle of the night subsided knowing they could access the water in the run should they need it. Spoiler alert, they don’t need it and once a chicken roosts for the night, they aren’t moving, unless they are fearful. It’s hilarious the scenarios we let play out inside our heads on the regular, but I guess that’s mom life for you! ha!
Long before I got chickens, two years before, when keeping chickens in the borough I live at was just a pipe dream, I researched everything chicken-related so that I could have the knowledge to care for them and convince my husband we should get them. Both worked well, and I think Matt still has whiplash from this homesteading journey he plummeted into starting in 2019. I learned that keeping water and food out of a chicken coop is generally recommended to maintain a clean and healthy environment for the chickens. I only ever wanted clean, healthy chickens and eggs. There are several reasons why it's important to avoid having food and water inside the coop, to achieve this!
Dirty sleeping environment: When food and water are present in the coop, chickens tend to spill and scatter it around while eating and drinking. This leads to the accumulation of food in the bedding material. As chickens naturally scratch and peck at the ground, they can mix these food particles with droppings, creating a dirty sleeping environment. The presence of food can attract pests such as rodents and insects, which can further contaminate the bedding.
Moisture issues: Moisture is a major concern in a chicken coop. It can lead to the growth of bacteria, fungi, and parasites, increasing the risk of diseases in chickens. When food and water are kept in the coop, spillage and droppings can create wet spots in the bedding, promoting the growth of harmful microorganisms. Moisture can also lead to mold growth, which can cause respiratory issues for the chickens.
Fecal contamination: Chickens tend to defecate frequently, and their droppings can easily contaminate food and water sources if they are placed inside the coop. Consuming contaminated food and water can result in health problems and increased disease transmission among the flock. By keeping food and water out of the chicken coop, you also have less chicken poo accumulating overnight because they are only sleeping in this area, and not snacking.
During the three-day lock-in phase when you are training your chickens to recognize their coop as their home (you can read more about that here) should be the only time they have food and water in the chicken coop. After this initial training period, moving the food and water sources to outside the coop is best. Placing them in a separate area, such as a designated feeding station or a secured run, helps minimize mess and keeps the coop cleaner.
By keeping food and water outside the coop, you can maintain a drier, cleaner environment, reducing the risk of disease transmission and ensuring the overall well-being of your chickens.
-Sarah