Small coop... food/water inside or outside?

[acsempronio]

My coop looks as follows:



I live in Oakland, CA (Mediterranean climate, USDA zone 10.)

I don't have any chickens yet (nor chicks) but I have the coop built and I am mulling over wear the food and water go. The coop itself is too small to accommodate 4 chickens and the food/water if it were closed up and even if it wasn't... there is no place that doesn't impede roosting or entry/exit.

My plan is to have a PVC-nipple system for water and a a 4-inch pvc inside a 6 inch cap for a gravity feeder.

My goal was to run the gravity feeder on the outside of the run, angle in (through the wire) and deposit the food into the 6-inch cap inside the run. This would be located (in this picture) on the back left corner.

My water plan was to run the pvc on the outside and have the nipples through the wire. This would be located (in this picture) on the the back right side (under the coop house.)

Does anyone with experience see this as an issue?

Furthermore, should the coop be closed up at any time for appreciable lengths of time? (this factors in how/where food is distributed.)

Thanks.

 

[chfite]

I keep the water outside so that any spills soak into the soil.

Chris

 

[Urbanchicken62]

Love the coop. My coop is similar to yours . I keep everything up under the coop. It's stays dry under there even in the worst weather. I have put small feeders and waterers in the coop at times, but they don't really use them.