What do I need to buy to set-up my first chickens?
You should buy a minimum of two chickens as they prefer to live in groups. They will need a coop, which has been treated by an insecticide to ensure it is bug free (such as diatomaceous earth from www.diatomx.co.uk - simply dust the interior and leave it for ongoing protection). If your coop has a pull-out droppings tray, then you will need to scrape it and remove the poo each day. If your coop floor is fixed, put sawdust down to absorb the poo and brush it out every few days, at least.
If you have chosen to keep your chickens in a run, then it will need to be built and attached to the coop so that they can come and go as they please. The floor of the run will also need to be cleaned, as chickens spend most of their day pooing and eating. Some people cover the area with woodchips and brush them out every so often. I found that earth covered with gravel worked well. I simply hosed down the gravel each night to wash away the poo into the ground, and the worms loved it - which also made the chickens happy.
You will also need a food container (left), food and a water drinker (right). I prefer to use a bowl for my layers pellets as I mix them with various supplements each day; it's the cheapest piece of equipment I have! I always have water available, to which I add a little 'live' Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) for their health. In the afternoon I throw a few handfuls of mixed corn, pumpkin hearts, leftover food - seriously, they'll eat anything! And remember, they aren't vegetarian, so some meat scraps very occasionally can do them good too.When you get your birds, I would advise you to worm them immediately. This can be done a variety of ways. A natural wormer, such as VermX, can be added as a liquid to their water, or fed as pellets. The vets choice is called Flubenvet, which is added to the layers pellets and fed to the birds over a week. It can be bought cheaper online than at your local vet, but don't tell them I told you...
Finally, you will need to transport the chickens from time to time. A simple pet carrier with sawdust in the bottom will do just fine, or a cardboard box if you don't have one of them. Special chicken carriers can be bought if you have many chickens, but they're expensive and unnecessary for just a few birds.
Set-Up Checklist:
Coop
Insecticide (natural, preferably)
Poo scraper
Sawdust
Run
Food (usually layers pellets and mixed corn) and food container
Water drinker
Worming treatment, such as Flubenvet or VermX
Some sort of carrier to get your chickens home.
