Wondering what supplies you need to care for chickens? I’m sharing our favorite chicken supplies in my Raising Backyard Chickens 101 post below. Whether you’re starting with chicks or already have an adult flock, the items below will set your flock up for success.
Raising backyard chickens 101: Supplies for raising chickens
When we decided to start a modern homestead and get chickens, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Neither Ben nor myself grew up on a farm, so we decided to teach ourselves as we went along.
If you’re interested in homesteading, then chickens are the perfect place to start. (And my raising backyard chickens 101 checklist below will get you started!) If you design your coop and fencing well, then chickens are extremely independent animals. Not only is it relatively easy to care for backyard chickens, but the farm fresh eggs are delicious. Bonus points that chickens are absolutely hilarious and so fun to raise. Below is a list of our favorite supplies for raising chickens. Some items are a splurge, while others are inexpensive and simply make the process of raising chickens easier and more efficient.
Baby chicks
Raising backyard chickens 101 tip #1 – be sure to start on a good foot by keeping your baby chicks healthy. The supplies below are perfect for those first few weeks with baby chicks.
- Brooder Box (you can use a large plastic storage container for the first week or so)
- Heating Plate Kit
- Chick Starter Kit (Feeder & Waterer):
- Chick Nipple Drinker
- Electrolytes
- Probiotics
- Chick Starter Crumbles
- Chick Grit
- Coop Refresher
Adult chickens + coop set up
Raising backyard chickens 101 tip #2 – set up your coop well! Once your baby chicks are old enough to graduate to an outdoor coop, you’ll want to have these supplies available.
- Waterer & feeder (we make our own waterer out of 5 gallon plastic bucket and chicken water nipples, but you can buy a waterer/feeder combo here
- Heated water bucket during cold weather
- Layer feed, grit, & treats
- Clean bedding (pine shavings)
- Nesting boxes (we have these nesting boxes!)
- Roosts
- Weather protection
- Coop/Poultry Door (Our Premier 1 door is sold out, but this one is available and has great review)
- Egg basket (and this one if you’re overflowing with eggs!)
- Poultry Drench
Treats
Raising backyard chickens tip #3 – chickens love treats! When gathering your chicken supplies, don’t forget to add a few chicken snacks to the list.
- Mealworm Munchies
- Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
- Cricket Crunchies