Heya! Chicken Newbie/Farmer with questions 4 gurus!

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FarmerChel

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I'm a farmer in Sourthern MD, growing food for senior citizens and communities in need. Looking forward to adding eggs for the seniors and totally excited about having chickens. Also a beekeeper--just love those hard working girls! šŸ

We're writing a grant to build my first coop, purchase chicks and jump in starting Spring 2026. One thing I'm wanting know is if there is some type of "raising chickens starter kit" that would include all the basic things I'd need for my first chicks. I plan to start with 6-8.

I also read something about breast blisters and want to know how to keep my hens comfortable while roosting and tips to prevent this.

Happy to be here and for all your help!!
 
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Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

There are a few threads here with their "starter kits" but some are so extensive and expensive and have items that expire in them. You don't need to go wild on them as maybe you won't need a thing. :)

Most just start out with the basics:

Poultry Cell and Nutri-Drench - vitamins
Powdered probiotics
VetWrap
Vetericyn Spray
Triple antibiotic ointment or Neosporin, without pain relief.

Vitamin E, B-complex, and Calcium Citrate +D3 we already had. If you don't have any of those, maybe you'd want to take them yourselves, but they are used for some ailments chickens sometimes come down with.

Eventually, we wound up with Ivermectin (for scaly leg mites) and Corid (for coccidiosis). Both have expiration dates.

We're glad you're here!
 
Debbie292d said:
Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

There are a few threads here with their "starter kits" but some are so extensive and expensive and have items that expire in them. You don't need to go wild on them as maybe you won't need a thing. :)

Most just start out with the basics:

Poultry Cell and Nutri-Drench - vitamins
Powdered probiotics
VetWrap
Vetericyn Spray
Triple antibiotic ointment or Neosporin, without pain relief.

Eventually, we wound up with Ivermectin (for scaly leg mites) and Corid (for coccidiosis). Both have expiration dates.

We're glad you're here!
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Thank for giving me a place to start! Is the feed you suggested for chicks and are there versions with vitamins included (like food formulated for puppies)? Do young chicks often hurt themselves, requiring first aid?
 
FarmerChel said:
Thank for giving me a place to start! Is the feed you suggested for chicks and are there versions with vitamins included (like food formulated for puppies)? Do young chicks often hurt themselves, requiring first aid?
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Welcome!

Yes, there are chick starter crumbles, then grower crumbles, then layer feed crumbles or pellets.

We use Kalmbach's Flock Maker crumbles for every chick, chicken, and duck here, so it's the same feed start to finish. It's a high-protein (20%) all-flock, and contains everything they all need, except it doesn't have enough calcium for laying hens. We supplement with oyster shell in separate dishes for them. Whoever needs it, eats it, and if they don't, they won't.

No, chicks don't usually hurt themselves. Some can be hatched with splayed legs (VetWrap) or wry neck (extra vitamins), or down the road, one might get something too. We don't usually have an issue as they grow, but as chicks, we do have splayed legs occasionally. (We hatch a LOT of chicks.) Those are fixed in two days.

You don't need to go buying all of that stuff and could just stick with the vitamins and probiotics to start out.
 
FarmerChel said:
I'm a farmer in Sourthern MD, growing food for senior citizens and communities in need. Looking forward to adding eggs for the seniors and totally excited about having chickens. Also a beekeeper--just love those hard working girls! šŸ

We're writing a grant to build my first coop, purchase chicks and jump in starting Spring 2026. One thing I'm wanting know is if there is some type of "raising chickens starter kit" that would include all the basic things I'd need for my first chicks. I plan to start with 6-8.

I also read something about breast blisters and want to know how to keep my hens comfortable while roosting and tips to prevent this.

Happy to be here and for all your help!!
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC! I also have honeybees! In my article at the very end I have a list of recommend supplies to have on hand. Useful Tips on Caring for Your Flock

Hope that helps!
 

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