Solitary chicken - need advice

[Cheshire Hen]

Hello there. I was wondering if any Cube or Eglu owners keep hens' food in the Cube or Eglu, and what your thoughts are on the idea. I used to hang the feeder inside my old wooden coop which was a similar size to the Cube. It was very convenient not to have to take the food to my house in the evening, as I'd just shut the coop door with the chickens, keeping the food from attracting other animals and giving the hens something to eat if they needed it. I wonder the best way to go about this with a Cube. I suppose just set it on the perch flooring? Of course the adorable Grub really isn't meant to sit on a surface... I could use my old feeder I guess.

[The Dogmother]

No need to take it in the coop; they don't need food when roosting, and it will foul the housing.

[Cheshire Hen]

Hmmm. I guess I never thought about that, and that's why I asked! I figured their poo was already doing a good job of fouling! Ha ha. Thanks for the reply.

[The Dogmother]

There's a difference between that and food, which will go mouldy and attract vermin. There's no need to bring their food in at night unless you have vermin eating it.

[mullethunter]

I've never bought the food in at night

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've never taken my feeders in at night either .

[JellyBean2605]

I bring the food in at night because we had a mouse problem, the cats kept bringing them in alive and letting them run off, the final straw was one cat bringing a mouse in when we were asleep and putting it in my husbands slipper to play with! Then I found mice droppings in the grub and realised where the cats were getting them from!

[Cheshire Hen]

Ok, so I really don't need to worry about removing it from the run UNLESS I'm having a problem with other animals going after it. It would certainly be easy to leave it there. Sounds like no one really keeps food in the coop. Thanks for your input!

[PixieDust]

I don't know if I posted it here previously, but the local pest control man flipped his lid when he saw the state of the goose house where OH works. Food on the floor, not been cleaned out in an age, flooring broken and rats nesting under the house.

 

OH told him I clean the coop daily and take the food and water in every night, (I have a hand built WIR which is like fort knox, fingers crossed), and the pest control man said it was the ONLY way to deter vermin.

 

On the basis of that I would not keep food in the coop or your Cube, as well as what Dogmother has said, as they don't need food at night.