Should Your Chicken Feeder Be in the Coop or the Run?

When I first started raising chickens, I wasn't thinking about efficiency. I had a small coop, a handful of birds, and a simple goal: get fresh eggs every day. Like many backyard chicken keepers, I wanted to step away from the grocery store and break free from relying on the corporate food system.

At that time, I didn't know there was even a debate about where to put the feeder. The logical choice seemed to be inside the coop—sheltered from the weather, easy to access, and protected from anything that might try to steal the feed. But I quickly learned that convenient for me didn't necessarily mean best for the chickens.

The first sign of trouble was the mess. Bedding mixed with the feed, moisture caused clumping, and droppings inevitably ended up where they shouldn't. Then, something worse happened: rodents found their way in. A few mice quickly turned into a recurring problem. And that was just the beginning.

How My Backyard Coop Became an Egg-Laying Farm

It all started the day I walked into Tractor Supply and walked out with a handful of chicks. I had no grand vision at the time—just the idea of raising a few birds for eggs.

Then, my co-founder challenged me: Could I teach kids how to raise chickens? Could we turn this into something bigger—an actual working egg farm?

I had no choice but to start thinking differently. It wasn't just about keeping a couple of hens happy. It was about creating a sustainable, scalable system that worked whether you had five birds or fifty. That meant figuring out the best way to feed them without wasting money, attracting pests, or doing more work than necessary.

Inside or Outside? Where Should the Feeder Go?

At first, I kept the feed inside the coop. It made sense at the time. The chickens were already there, so they could eat first thing in the morning and before roosting at night. It seemed efficient—until I started noticing the problems.

• Mice and rats could easily access the feed, especially at night when the chickens weren't eating.

• Moisture buildup made the feed clump and spoil, leading to waste.

• Bedding and droppings are constantly mixed with the feed, creating sanitation issues.

• Chickens developed terrible habits—some started scratching feed all over, making an even bigger mess.

That's when I started looking at other ways to feed chickens—methods that would work not just for me but also for the kids I was teaching and the farm we were building.

How We Keep Our Feed Safe (and Pests Out)

After much trial and error, I found a system that worked. Instead of keeping feed inside the coop, we moved it outside into the run. But it wasn't just about moving the feeder—it was about rethinking how we feed chickens entirely.

Here's what works best for us:

1. Hanging Feeders Instead of Ground Feeders

• Keeping feed elevated prevents it from mixing with dirt, bedding, and droppings.

• Mice, rats, and bugs have a harder time accessing hanging feeders.

• Chickens can eat without scattering feed everywhere, reducing waste.

2. No Feed Inside the Coop

• Eliminates moisture buildup and keeps bedding cleaner.

• Stops rodents from sneaking in at night for an easy meal.

• Forces chickens to leave the coop and be more active in the run.

3. Sprouting Feed for Better Nutrition and Lower Costs

• Chickens eat less dry kibble when they have access to fresh sprouts.

• Sprouted feed provides more nutrients, making for healthier hens and better eggs.

• By sprouting grains ourselves, we save money on feed while reducing waste.

4. Chickens as Pest Control

• Some of our chickens actively hunt mice and small bugs, keeping the coop clean.

• A well-fed, active flock is less likely to attract pests in the first place.

Building the Future: Egg-Farm-in-a-Box

One of my biggest lessons is that good feeding practices scale up. Whether you have a small backyard flock or want to run a full-fledged egg operation, how you feed your chickens determines how much work you have to do.

That's why we're working on a new system—Egg-Farm-in-a-Box.

It's a streamlined setup designed to help people raise chickens efficiently, with everything optimized from feed storage to pest control. We've already got someone interested in our specs. As we refine the design, we're ensuring feed placement, waste reduction, and efficiency are at the system's core.

The Best Setup for Your Flock?

Raising chickens isn't just about feeding them. It's about building a system that works—one that keeps them healthy, keeps pests away, and maximizes efficiency. Over the years, I've refined my methods by combining best practices with real-world experience, learning from mistakes, and constantly improving my setup.

But I didn't figure it all out on my own.

The best farmers know that a great system is built on great knowledge. That's why I put together Thinking Outside the Soil—to share everything I've learned about raising healthier flocks while cutting costs and making farming more sustainable.

And if you want the inside track on what's working today, The Chicken Pimp's Rolodex is the ultimate resource. It's packed with hand-picked suppliers, humane-certified hatcheries, and practical strategies that can save you time, money, and frustration​.

If you're serious about raising better chickens and running a smarter farm, grab a copy of Thinking Outside the Soil and pair it with The Chicken Pimp's Rolodex. Together, they'll give you the tools and strategies to pimp your flock, protect your feed, and keep your birds thriving.