The Ultimate Gift List for Poultry Owners
Maybe its Christmas, a birthday, another holiday or something else, you need a poultry related gift for your own list, or your friend. Well you've come the the right place! This article contains the ultimate gift list for any poultry owner. From essentials, first aid, and miscellaneous, I hope you're able to find the perfect gift in this article!
Necessities-
Boots-
Boots are one of the most important items for a poultry owner! For good biosecurity, every poultry owner should have a good pair of boots! Even if they already have some, no one can have to many pairs of boots. Its always helpful to have an extra pair around, its easy to get boots dirty or wet in the chicken world. If one pair needs to be cleaned its nice to have another pair.
Hardware Cloth-
Every chicken owner needs hardware cloth. Not everyone can afford HC for their run, so buying a roll or two of HC is always a wonderful gift! Hardware cloth is the best wire out there for run/coop security, and theres always areas you can improve. Even if you think they have enough HC, you can never get enough. It may sound like a boring gift, but for chicken keepers, HC is so important!
Incubator-
Incubators are fantastic gifts! What poultry owner doesn't want to hatch chicks? Its so exciting, and very easy with the NurtureRight360! It has an auto turner, built in candler, 22 egg capacity, very reliable gauges, 360 vision, and external humidity trough. What more could you ask for? Incubators are great gifts that keep on giving, and very thoughtful. The NR360 is one I would highly recommend, and a decent price at 150$. The receiver will not be disappointed.
Premier Solar Electric Poultry Fencing-
Premier poultry netting is a fantastic gift! Not only does it protect from predators, and provide a large mobile space for birds, but its very thoughtful. It could work for owners with prey driven dogs, giving them a safe space full of grass that can be moved. Or protecting them from ground predators if they live in an area were predators are a concern. Note, the second link does not come with a solar charger, and is not electric without it.
Rat Proof Chicken feeder-
I can't think of a single poultry owner who doesn't need this. Its water resistant, rat proof, and made of stainless steel so it doesn't rust! I've used this brand before and love it! It holds a lot of feed, and the chickens learn how to use it quickly. Its a very thoughtful gift, and will be much appreciated by any poultry owner.
Elevated Waterer-
Elevated waterers are great to have on hand! They help keep messes out of the water, and having multiple is always handy. You can rotate them, and if one gets dirty, its always nice to have an extra to put in so you can take your time cleaning the first. If your poultry owner does't have an elevated waterer, they need one! You'll be doing less cleaning, and they're so much easier than hanging a waterer. They don't swing so they reduce spilling.
Nipple Waterer/Nipple Set-
Nipple waterers are great for keeping the water clean. They do the same as the above waterers, and may help keep rodents from using the water encase of an infestation. They are easy to clean, and you can do less cleaning since chickens can't kick bedding into the water. If the water is kept in the coop, this is a really good choice. Note, you shouldn't use a nipple waterer, or the above waterer for ducks. Ducks need a bucket they can dunk their heads in as a water source. These waterers don't have that option.
Heated Water base-
Cold winters can be a pain for most chicken keepers. Waterers freeze, and the chickens are left without water. Having fresh water is key to good health, a heated water base is a great option! (There are cheeper options for water bases, but this is a reliable brand) It will save so much time that would usually be spent lugging frozen waterers out of the coop, and adding new fresh water that will freeze again by the evening. Heated water bases will keep metal waterers from freezing. If they have a plastic waterer, or other, than a heated dog water bowl may be a good option.
Picnic Table Feeder-
This is an adorable gift! So cute, photo worthy, and great for feeding treats, or fermented feed. Its a really nice setup for fermented feed, since you feed your birds once to twice a day and they are usually very excited to eat. If you have a large flock, you need a large bin, and I've heard stories of brits flipping bins on top of them and becoming trapped. This setup can not flip over, so is a very safe option for the flock. Plus, can you get any cuter than that?
Auto Coop Door/Door Openers-
Automatic coop doors are so great for chicken keepers! Having to get up early in the morning to let out your chickens, and go out in the evening to close them can be a pain. Its so nice to wake up in the morning to see the ladies out and about, not squawking waiting for you to come let them out! Don't even mention ducks, they make it VERY clear if you are late to let them out in the morning. Coop door openers can be attached to an existing door, making the conversion easy. Auto coop doors are also very secure at night, and lock so predators can't pry/lift them open. Just make sure you purchase from a reputable brand, since off brands could malfunction and crush chickens. Its rare, but you get what you pay for. If your concerned about this, door openers attached to a wooden door may be a better option.
Bedding-
Bedding may sound like yet another boring gift, but it doesn't have to be! Bedding get expensive, especially if your poultry owner has ducks. Ducks get everything wet, and I can only imagine how much I spend on bedding for them. Shavings are easy to source at you local feed store, but if your looking for something a bit fancier, you can get hemp bedding online, Chewy is a good source. Hemp bedding is much more expensive than shavings or straw, so gifting it to a chicken owner or other poultry owner is perfect! It reduces ammonia smell, and is very absorbent. Also not something the average flock keeper would buy for themselves since its expensive. Definitely a good gift.
Note: If you purchase shavings, pine shavings are the best option for chickens as cedar can be toxic.
Edibles-
Treats-
Poultry treats are a simple no brainier for chicken keepers. You can get fancy ones on Etsy, or simple ones at a local feed store, or Amazon. The poultry will enjoy it all the same. Mealworms are a common treat, but if you looking for something more fancy, than any of these treats on Etsy are a great choice! Sorry for the intermittent chicken flavored dog treats.
Otherwise, Flock Party mixes are great! Happy Hen Treat mixes are fantastic, and something as simple as Black Soldier Fly Larve, or Mealworms are great as well!Feed-
Chicken feed is always an appreciated gift. Chickens go through it fast, and some fancy Organic feed thats different from the usual might be an exciting way to give feed as a gift. Scratch and Peck has a pelleted layer feed which is great. Its Organic and all that jazz. Plus, their whole grain feeds are great for fermenting! Kalmbach has good options, and even better, you could get them a subscription for Grubbly feeds which his also a high quality feed company.
Kalmbach also has a Feathering feed, which may be an exciting gift for poultry during the winter, or going through a molt. Not something that a chicken keeper may always buy for themselves.
Nesting Herbs-
Nesting herbs are a fantastic option for poultry! They smell amazing, and some contain mealworms which the birds will love eating out the the bedding. They encourage scratching, and certain Etsy mixes have been created to be beneficial to the birds because of aromatherapy. Nesting herbs can get expensive, especially on Amazon, so not something that every chicken owner would purchase for themselves. They make fantastic gifts through! I know my birds love them.
Supplements-
Supplements like electrolytes, probiotics, or others are a good gift. Electrolytes are important if the poultry are living in very hot, or very cold climates. They help replace the salts that are lost, along with increasing hydration which is very important. Probiotics are vital in the first aid kit for use after antibiotics, during stress, as an immune booster, and for crop issues. These are very high quality probiotics for dogs that can be dosed for chickens. Other creative supplements, like hemp seed oil for feather health. Its great for birds going through molt, and can produce shiny feathers. Organic veggies are a great supplement! This article explains why the "chop" method for parrots can be useful for chickens. Chop is a supplemental "feed" made from veggies which is very beneficial during the winter months.
Herbs and Plants-
Herbs are a great gift for any chicken owner! You can get them fresh, dried, powdered, live, or in oil form. Herbs will be much appreciated by anyone who has interest in natural nutrition, or as a fun and healthy treat for the girls! Herbs like Turmeric, Rosemary, and Ginger have anti-inflammatory properties, and Oregano is a very powerful immune booster. So good that it can be a natural antibiotic for not only poultry, but people too! Ginger and Peppermint are warming herbs which are great for winter, and peppermint also has cooling properties in summer. You could get any of these herbs in dried or powder form to add to their feed, fresh can be fed as a treat (ducks will go nuts for leafy herbs if they're thrown on their water source) or in oil for. Oil or Oregano (Not to be confused with Oregano oil which is very concentrated) can be added to any poultry owners first aid kit as a natural antibiotic.
I think if your looking to gift plants or herbs, getting starts or seeds deepening on the time of year is a fantastic gift! Being able to grow your own herbs for poultry is a great plus. Once the plants establish, you can harvest herbs and plants to feed as treats.
Toys-
I'll only list a few here, but this article goes more into depth on DIY and purchasable boredom busters for poultry.
Feeder/Vegetable toys-
Vegetable feeder toys are very entertaining for poultry. Hanging nets, grids, skewers, and balls are all great vegetable holder toys for poultry. They come in so many varieties, how can you choose one? Amazon is helpful here with their variety packs, but you can find more durable vegetable feeder toys on Etsy as well. Not a vegetable holder, but this Happy Hen Treat square basket is perfect for feeding Happy Hen squares. Make it more difficult for them to eat the square, and more entertaining.
Mirrors-
Mirrors are very entertaining for chickens! They love to check out the "new additions" to the flock, and size them up. It will entertain chickens and other poultry alike while they try to figure out why that chicken is copying them, though they can't help but think they're pretty good looking. Its hilarious to watch birds play with this toy. A simple handheld mirror works well, or this chicken mirror from Amazon.
Swings-
This might sound crazy, but chickens may actually play on swings! It will take them some time to get used to it, but the balance challenge, and difficulty to it is entertaining for chickens. Plus, they are great conversation starters for a run. Any chicken owner would be happy to give these a try in their chicken run, or at least get a good lacing out of it. Here are a few I like- WoodRidgeCrafts, RusticRestorationLLC, BYBarnyard store, and this isn't a swing, but I figured it could go in this category- Chicken Network Teeter Totter!
Perches/Jungle Gyms-
Perches provide great entertainment for poultry! Not only do they look nice, but buying "fancy" high priced perches that the everyday poultry owner may not buy for themselves are a great gift! Chickens will spend all day long perching, flying, jumping, and napping on perches. Along with that Jungle Gyms look nice, and provide hide holes and escapes for integrating new birds. A few I like- TheChickenNetwork, CoopsandFeathers.
For the First Aid Kit-
I'll list a few items here, but this article has SO many ideas for a poultry first aid kit. Just this article alone could make a good gift.
Nutri-Drench and other Vitamins-
Nutri-Drench is an item vital for the first Aid kit! Its usually used in recovery which is why I put it here rather than in the "edibles" section. Its fantastic for helpings chickens recovering from shock, heat stress, cold stress, or other injuries. Also great for weak chicks. Other vitamins may be something like a Vitamin B complex. Very important for ducks if they are suffering a niacin deficiency, or chickens who are having issues related to a vitamin deficiency. Rooster Booster is also a great vitamin to have on hand.
Dog Crate-
This one may also seem basic or boring, but if your a poultry keeper without a dog crate, your going to be within you had one. Chickens who need to be separated, or integrated can be placed in a dog crate to easily separate them. If you are looking for something a bit more exciting than a basic, boring dog crate, than a wire crate with a cover is always helpful for roosters who need to be crated inside.
Covers block out the light which may keep them from crowning early in the morning. You could also get a small poultry run on amazon for the same purpose. These are more expensive, but also very helpful for multiple birds.You could get perches to go with a crate if you wanted to spice it up. A feeder/waterer that attaches to the door of a plastic crate, or anywhere on a wire crate are also good options.
