[downtoearth]

I have had my 4 hens since April last year. Up until now I have been putting their food in and out of the coop each day.
Apart from feeding the entire bird and mammal population round about, I wondered what others do?
Leave it inside all day, or put it outside?
It goes underneath the coop where it is sheltered.
So is there anyway of not going through the feed at an alarming rate? Thanks.

[Fowlman]

I feed mine daily x-amount, that way i'm not tempting vermin. Never put feed in the coop it attracts vermin and you dont want them in the coop. We all do things differently.

[Bionic]

I feed mine daily x-amount, that way i'm not tempting vermin. Never put feed in the coop it attracts vermin and you dont want them in the coop. We all do things differently.

Yes, we do all do things differently don't we    I am the complete opposite.  I just fill up their feeder and let them help themselves. The food container is inside the small run but not in the hen house itself. My chickens free range though and during the day just come back to the coop to lay and have a quick munch before heading off again. I do find that small wild birds go in for a feed too but not very many as the run is quite enclosed and they aren't keen on going in. 

[toaster]

You could maybe try a treadle feeder. The hens step on a plate which opens the feeder. Wild birds are not heavy enough to operate it

[hughesy]

I stopped having feeders outside after we suffered a plague of starlings last winter. All ours are kept hanging in the coops. Haven't had any problems.

[downtoearth]

Well thanks for all that! It is amazing just how we all do it differently! I shall try a number of your suggestions and see what suit me and them best.  I should have said that they free range the bottom of my garden and eat lots of greens and beasties too!!

[ellied]

I fill up the feeder in the morning and it stays outside the coop but in the run.  The birds get out in the garden from around lunchtime to dusk and get corn scattered back in the run to encourage their return, tho they tend to be heading back anyway and often I find them topping up from the feeder when I go out, so they all come rushing OUT of the run towards me and then mill around my feet til I am close enough to throw some in ahead of me.

I don't feed in the coop at all, I usually try and remember to cover the feeder with a bin to keep nocturnal visitors away, but don't always manage. 

[downtoearth]

So yours dont have feed and water at night? Mine have both. Thought they might need it?

[Bionic]

Mine don't have any at night either. Once it gets dark they go up into their coop and then I close the hatch. They don't get anything until I open it again in the morning at 8am ish.
They are all well and laying every day so it would seem they are happy with the situation.

[sabrina]

As my chckens have one of the stables in the barn I put a scoop of feed in their feeders morning and night. they free range most of the day.

[Mammyshaz]

Ours get food and water in the run from dawn to dusk. Our problem is the &/£:@-@ ratzz but we are on that case. The coop is closed at dusk once the hens are in bed then the food and water containers are locked away.

[goosepimple]

No, definately wouldn't put food out for them 24/7, rats galore otherwise I should think? In my post townie days I used to make them boiled rice especially and give them madeira cake  , now being a 'country person' (how many years does it take to qualify?) they get a sprinkle of corn in the morning and at tea time and they scratch around for the rest, a bit of brown bread if I'm giving some to the geese nearby, that's it. 
 
I do remember once feeding them in summer, I had a skirt on (post townie) and they were trying to peck the freckles off my scottish white leggies, quite sore actually 

[downtoearth]

Really interesting thanks to you all for your input!

[chrismahon]

All our coops have attached covered runs and we hang the feeders up on hooks at night. During the day the chickens chase the vermin off, although I did shoot a rat once that was just too big to be scared.

[hughesy]

Ours have killed a couple of rats and ate half of one.