Getting chickens? Here is everything you need to get started
Want to know what you need for backyard chickens?
I’ve had chickens for five years and I love them so much. I have never once regretted having them, which is more than I can say for SO MANY ideas I’ve had in this wild little life.
What You Need for Backyard Chicken
Here is the list of BEST backyard chicken products that I’ve discovered through trial and error. Plus error.
Chicken Coop
When it comes to a list of things you need for backyard chickens, a coop is at the top. You can make a coop out of anything, but I wanted ours to be sturdy and cute, so we bought a plan on Etsy.
What’s great about it:
- Adorable
- A fox would need tools to break into this thing
- Sturdy & long lasting
- Raised (We have lots of snakes in NC and have never once had a problem in the coop.)
- Lots of room for roosting
What we updated:
- We added a run on the side, so there’s a hole in one wall.
- It’s very hot in our NC summers so we replaced the boards above the door (and the same spot on the other side) with mesh wiring for airflow. It’s been fine during the cold winter months too because the cold air doesn’t blow directly on the birds.
Chicken Run
Chickens need somewhere safe to roam around outside the coop. This is also where the food and water go.
We didn’t have a design for ours, but just built a long yard for them out of 2x4s and chicken wire. Here’s what I learned:
- Put the door of the run close to the coop/chicken door. That way you don’t have to walk all the way through the run to open or close it.
- Make the walls tall enough that you can comfortably walk though it without bending.
- Use smaller gauge chicken wire for the bottom half of the run. It’s stronger and harder for predators to get through.
- Put 2 extra feet of that same strong wire around the run, or dig a little ditch and bury it. That makes it hard for predators to dig in.
Chicken Feeder
I have tried TONS of feeders and these are my very favorite. The ones I wish I’d bought from the start.
What’s great about it:
- This feeder holds 50 pounds of feed at a time! That’s a whole bag and means you don’t have to constantly monitor how much food your birds have.
- Chickens put their heads inside and get dry food every time.
- No food spills on the ground.
- It’s easy for chickens to share. I have 11 chickens and 2 of these feeders.
What we updated:
- Nothing
Chicken Waterer
Again, I’ve gone through lots of water systems for chickens and wish I’d done this from the start.
Rent-a-Coop Automatic Watering Cup
What’s great about it:
- You drill a hole into a food grade bucket, then fill it up. Water automatically trickles into the cup.
- Chickens put their beaks in and drink fresh water every time.
- Water stays cleaner than other systems closer to the ground.
- It’s easy to create several water stations. I have 11 chickens and 3 buckets, with 2 of these waterers each. That’s a total of 12 water stations.
What we updated:
- We drilled holes into food grade buckets with twisting lids.
- I add a cap-full of apple cider vinegar to each 5-gallon bucket to prevent algae.
- Each bucket sits on a cinder block to keep it up off the ground, which keeps the cups cleaner.
Shavings for the Coop
This sounds small but shavings are an important part of what you need for backyard chickens. Line the floor of the coop, and the nesting boxes, to soak up waste, plus keep the area smelling fresh. And in the case of the nesting boxes, comfy.
I use pine shavings like these, but get them from Tractor Supply because it’s a better deal. (We also use these pine shavings for our bunny habitat.)
On the coop floor:
I put a thick layer of shavings down, about 4 inches. Then add more every weekend for a couple of months.
I use a rake and a broom to clean out the coop, then a wheelbarrow to cart it all to my compost pile. (Don’t put chicken bedding directly on your gardens because it’s too high in nitrogen. Let it sit in the compost, and mix it in, for a couple of months before adding to a garden bed.)
In the nesting boxes:
If you add a handful of fresh shavings to your boxes AND the floor right in front of them, your eggs will come out cleaner. Do this often. At least twice a week, and more if you can.
Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Full disclosure: I have this, but my handyman keeps not installing it. But I’ll tell you this, it’s gonna be a game changer.
Chickens automatically go into the coop in the evening. You can’t stop them. (And you really can’t get them inside earlier.) But since our chickens are free ranging, it’s important to close the door at night to keep them safe from predators.
Opening and closing the door is a pain.
This is going to change our lives. Stay tuned.
Otherwise, this is what you need for backyard chickens. I love having chickens and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Starting with baby chicks?
Here’s what you need to get started.
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