9 Must-Have Items for Raising Chickens

Chickens are amazing social animals but they are a bit difficult to raise in general households. Unlike cats and dogs, upkeeping chickens requires prior planning and preparations. There are a few pieces of equipment and items you need if you want be ready to raise chickens.

If you are new to hen-keeping, this article is for you.

Below we have discussed some essential items that you must have if you want to raise healthy chicken. We’ll discuss them in order from most immediate and important to least important.

1. Chicken Coop

The most important item that you need to raise chickens is a coop. You won’t want them to run around your property all day and night. A coop is an enclosure that you can use to keep your hens safe especially at night.

The need for such a cage increases even more when you are looking to keep them in a large and open area. It will keep them safe from other animals you have and any unwanted predators.

The size and diameter of a chicken coop is vital. It must be spacious enough so that all chickens can live in it comfortably.

It should also be easily accessible so that they can recognize it as a safe place. Make sure that you don’t stuff too many chickens in a tight space.

You can build a custom coop for your specific requirements. You can also buy a new one if you want to save yourself from spending time and effort.

Pestfit Chicken Coop is one of the best products that you can currently buy on Amazon. It is an extremely durable coop that can be used without any indoor or outdoor usage restrictions. It can withstand extreme climate conditions including heat, mold, moisture, and rain.

The floor panels can be easily removed allowing you to clean them without any trouble. It is the perfect safe space for 3-4 grown-up chickens. Therefore you can invest in this item if you only plan on keeping a handful of chickens.

2. Chicken Feed

Chickens need a special diet for optimum growth As a responsible owner, you must differentiate between healthy and unhealthy diets.

Being omnivores, they can consume a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds. If you choose to feed them raw food, you’ll have to be cautious of the nutrition to keep them balanced.

You can also feed them commercial food which contains all the essential nutrients. Thus, you’ll be saving yourself from manually calculating and balancing the nutrients.

Remember, this diet should be served regularly. We’ll be discussing other special diets in further sections.

Manna Pro Chicken Scratch is an all-in-one feed perfect for the growth of your chickens. It contains seven essential nutrients: corn, wheat, milo, barley, oats, sunflower seeds, and millets. Mixing all these nutrients in the right amounts takes a lot of skill and care.

Buying this product composite feed will save you from needing to carry out the mixing procedure yourself. This product is 100% natural and can be fed to other animals including ducks, geese, and turkeys.

3. Waterer

A waterer is yet another essential item that must be installed in the chickens’ grooming space. They must be provided with fresh water especially during the daytime so that they can stay hydrated. The importance of an automatic waterer increases even further during summer days.

It constantly supplies them cold and drinkable water. They are available in multiple sizes. Large-sized waterers contain multiple water cups and are mostly used in farms.

Small-sized waters have a single cup that is enough for 3-4 chickens.

RentACoop provides one of the most efficient water cups for house pets. They offer this product in a pack of 6 small waterers that you can quickly install.

These cups constantly maintain the flow and volume of freshwater to keep your chickens cool and hydrated. These products are available at a very affordable price.

4. Nesting Boxes

Stand-alone nesting boxes are not necessarily required as most chicken coops have built-in nesting boxes for hatching eggs.

However, the eggs are not entirely safe in crowded coops as other chickens may attempt to damage them. Therefore, to increase the safety of these eggs, they are placed in separate nesting boxes along with a mother chicken.

Raising baby chicks will be your priority if you are looking to grow your business. In such a case, you must invest in these items as they’ll increase the chances of safe hatching.

Little Giant has designed a wonderful and reliable product for chick egg hatching purposes. It is a highly durable nesting box that is very easy to install.

Inside one box, there is enough space for one chicken to lay and sit on her eggs. A wide perch in its design ensures a convenient entry and exit for her.

This nesting box also contains several ventilation holes for the continuous flow of fresh air across the box. You can install one box for each hen which makes it easy for you to manage your chickens. The cleaning of this box is also a simple and quick task.

Because of all the above-mentioned features, it is highly rated by its users.

5. Airtight Food Containers

Fresh and healthy food is critical for the health and optimum growth of chickens. All regular and special chicken foods can catch mold and moisture in a humid environment and they quickly dry up in hot seasons.

Therefore, they should be preserved with high care so that they can stay fresh and last longer. Airtight boxes solve this problem.

These food containers are essential items if you are serious about the optimum raising of your chickens at an economical price.

These boxes prevent a lot of food waste. You must invest in a few of these boxes to keep the regular feed and other treats free from air microbes, mold, and intense heat.

You also have to be careful regarding the room temperature where you put these boxes. This is because an airtight jar only performs half the function. The other half is affected by the temperature.

Gamma2 is famous for manufacturing high-quality food containers of all shapes and sizes. Gamma2 Vittles Vault is a 20lb airtight food container that is built with heavy-duty BPA-free HDPE Plastic. This is manufactured with a highly durable lightweight plastic that is quite effective at preserving chicken feed.

You can contain 2-3 weeks’ worth of food supply safe in this box. Not only chicken feed, you can also use it for preserving other pet foods such as cats and dogs. In any case, it will be equally effective. The built quality of this container truly justifies its universal use. 

6. Chicken Grubs

Chicken grub is used to add value to the primary feed and is a highly considered treat for chickens. Grubs play a vital role in increasing the energy levels in chickens.

Unlike farm-fed broilers, grub-fed chickens run around and engage in plenty of playful activities. The strength behind this physical movement is due to the calcium provided by the grubs.

Therefore, if you are someone who wants to raise healthy and energetic chickens, you should consider adding grub to their diet.

It is so nutritious that it also can be used as a primary source of nutrition. However, most owners like to feed it as a secondary source of nutrition.

Using it alongside regular feed ensures that your chicks grow to their full natural potential while adding lots of calcium to their bones.

FLYGRUBS is probably the most famous brand for producing nutritious grubs for all sorts of pets.

This particular product is loved by all chickens and is usually fed in a physically engaging manner. Rather than feeding them in small feeders, these grubs are scattered onto the ground.

Thus your chicks can eat and grow naturally and healthily. These grubs contain all the essential nutrients including calcium, protein, phosphorus, fiber, and several healthy fats.

These nutrients are sufficient for their full growth. Thus, you can feed these grubs as a regular diet rather than treats.

7. Grower Grit

Grower grit is a digestive supplement that is fed to younger chicks. The regular feed along with other treats, mainly contain an adult diet. Baby chicks find it difficult to digest as they have different nutritional requirements as adults.

Therefore, grower grits are a wonderful feeding option. This food is equally healthy and beneficial for older chickens. Especially if you find one with a disturbed stomach, grits can be a great alternative for a short while.

Apart from manufacturing regular chicken feed, Manna Pro also manufactures highly nutritious grower grit for your chickens.

This is yet another organic product on our list that contains no artificial supplements or preservatives. The grit is crushed into extremely fine granite, making it easier for baby chicks to consume and digest it without any health issues.

It is offered at variable weights and prices. You can choose the right variation depending on the nutritious requirements of your chicks.

8. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a natural white rock that is crushed into fine powder. Chickens love to take a dust bath in this soft soil. It is also mineral-rich therefore it becomes a safe and healthy option for chickens. It is, however, not a primary option for their growth.

You can invest in this item if you have a small number of chicks. If you have a large stock of such animals, it is simply not an economically viable option for your business.

HARRIS DE-FG4P DIATOMACEOUS EARTH is a great product that is used by thousands of chicken owners. It is 100% naturally mined soil with no additives or filters.

Its chemical composition is verified by OMRI which is an organization that reviews products against organic standards across the US. It is offered at a highly affordable price range.

If you are a small chicken owner, we highly suggest that you spend your money on this great value provider.

9. Chicken Saddles

Female Chickens find it difficult to stay healthy in mating seasons as most male breeds showcase aggressive behaviors. Their feathers fall off heavily which makes them even more vulnerable to unhealthy mating.

Saddles are used to protect such chickens from aggressive mating. These are small pieces of covering clothes that are designed in such a way that they perfectly cover their tails.

DOWN UNDER OUTDOORS has designed just the perfect saddles for your chickens. These items of clothing fit perfectly to fully grown regular breeds.

These are neither too loose nor too tight which is the essential feature of any saddle. You can also manually adjust the wrapping of these saddles around your chicks.

Apart from protection, the design and colors of these saddles add a style to your chickens and make them look really cool.

Conclusion

The above list contains pretty much everything that you’ll need right away for the healthy growth of your chickens.

If you have never raised them before, this guide will provide you a head start in getting ready for a wonderful experience with these wonderful creatures.

Welcome to the wonderful world of raising chickens!