compiling a shopping list of essentials and handy things for new chook set up?

[EverythingZen]

Apart from a secure coop and feed and water, what is essential to have before I bring some chickens home?
I've got some galvanised shelves read to set up some nesting boxes, feeding tubes with the pvc pipe method, and a bag of food from a chicken I had staying for a few days. If you had to put together a "must have" list, what would I add to my set up?

 

[aart]

That's about it.
As long as coop, and run, is of adequate size for number of birds arriving.
Feed is fairly fresh(anything more than a couple months old could have degraded nutrients and look for any molding) and appropriate for age of birds.
That feed looks to be for birds that are actively laying(4% calcium).

 

[BantyChooks]

View attachment 1216165 Apart from a secure coop and feed and water, what is essential to have before I bring some chickens home?
I've got some galvanised shelves read to set up some nesting boxes, feeding tubes with the pvc pipe method, and a bag of food from a chicken I had staying for a few days. If you had to put together a "must have" list, what would I add to my set up?

1 gal bowls for water and scraps---they're just overall useful---a pen for broodies or miscreants, and a square edged shovel for cleaning out the coop.
That's about what I started with, I think. Oh, and a mouse proof place to store feed. I'm assuming you've got roosts already?

 

[N F C]

Don't know what your set up is like but coop bedding and some way of cleaning the poops up would be helpful.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The must haves are food, water, and shelter from the weather. Some people get by without much protection from predators but I put that pretty high on my shelter list too, at least until you gain some experience with your predator situation. That's it in general, everything else is situational.

If you are raising broilers for butcher you have what you need. If you are keeping them for eggs you want nests. As long as they are not all Silkies you should have a roost higher than the nests. So for the vast majority of us nests and roosts are pretty much needed. If you are going to isolate them for breeding purposes you need a way to do that. That's what I mean by situational, in some situations you will need certain things.

There are a lot of other things that are nice to have's, but the basics are food, water, and shelter. Probably nests and roosts. You can get by with those but be prepared to be flexible, you will probably add other things as you go along. Some of these things are really convenient.

 

[BantyChooks]

Some of these things are really convenient.

Yep... like that square ended shovel I mentioned. It sure won't be necessary for them to survive, but it will make you grumble a lot less on coop cleaning day. Of course, might not be a big savings if you don't have a large coop.

 

[Duckworth]

A plan for managing their waste consistently over time. I don't mean you can't change your method to one that works better. Just have a plan that you view as sustainable long term until you replace it with a better plan.

A knowledge of any local ordinances that may affect you is good, too.

 

[EverythingZen]

So this food is sufficient for POL birds? I don't quite understand food requirements, sorry to be a pain with all the questions! I've read people talking about % content, niacin(?) and calcium? Oyster grit? Scratch mix, layer mash, cracked corn...

Roosts don't need to be fancy, do they? It's essentially a pole or perch they can tuck themselves up on for rest/sleep? And they will fly themselves up to these, right? I'm not going to wing clip, so they'll have the ability to fly about once they've been quarantined and done their 2 week lockdown to settle in.

 

[EverythingZen]

Also, the shovel idea is great, thank you!
I'm hoping to get a compost system set up. At the moment, all duck and rabbit mess goes onto the veggie patch, but there's kind of more waste than veggies... so it's not viable long term lol. I need a large compost barrel. And possibly a second veggie garden...

 

[BantyChooks]

Also, the shovel idea is great, thank you!
I'm hoping to get a compost system set up. At the moment, all duck and rabbit mess goes onto the veggie patch, but there's kind of more waste than veggies... so it's not viable long term lol. I need a large compost barrel. And possibly a second veggie garden...

I just dump all the dirty bedding from my coop in the woods next to the run... after a few years I rake it in as run bedding. Or use it in the garden.