Essentials for Chicken Keeping
Hey y’all! Spring has nearly sprung, which means a lot of people are getting into backyard chicken keeping and acquiring chicks for the year. With that being said I thought I would create a list for y’all of my essentials for baby chicks and chickens in general. The biggest tip I can have for you is to make sure you have everything set up with all the supplies you will need before you bring your new chicks home.
*As an amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Baby Chicks:
A Brooder: Our personal favorite is to use a galvanized water trough.
Pine Shavings: Pine Shavings are our personal favorite for baby chicks.
Feeder: This is an absolute must.
Waterer: Right along with the feeder a waterer that’s an appropriate size is very important.
Heat Source: You are going to need a heat source for your baby chicks. I do not recommend heating lamps as they can be quite a fire hazard. A heating plate or a heat mat will be your safer choice.
Organic Chick Starter Feed: We feed our animals all organic feed whenever possible. It is so much healthier for them.
Chickens:
Predator Proof Chicken Coop: This to me is one of the most important things to start with. We did not buy our coop, my husband built it. He built it off of the ground so that way it eliminates other critters to make a home underneath their coop. We also Mink proofed it. We learned the hard way that a mink can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter.
Pine Shavings: We like to use Pine Shavings in our chicken coop. It is easy to clean. out and has a fresh smell.
Feeder: We use a feeder for our chickens that is quite large. We like to be able to dump their feed right into it and not have to refill it everyday.
Water: We also like to use a large waterer. To ensure they don’t run out of water through out the day.
Safe Outdoor Enclosure: Our outdoor enclosure is predator proof. It also keeps them safe from hawks. We love giving them an outdoor run so they get get outside in the sun and grass and be able to run around.
Nesting Boxes: It’s important to have plenty of nesting boxes so the hens can lay eggs whenever they need to.
Roosting Shelves: There are many options for this. If you like to do DIY’s you can always build bars for them to roost on too.
Organic Chicken Feed: We feed our chickens all organic feed whenever possible. Not only is it better for them, if you have egg layers and eat their eggs, it is much better for your health as well.
Extras
Treats: We absolutely love giving our chickens fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember the more diverse their diet is the better the eggs will be for you.
Snuggles: Of course chickens need snuggles too. Our girls love to get extra attention.