What to Buy Before Bringing Home Your First Chickens

Bringing home your first chickens is incredibly exciting! It’s also very easy to get caught up in choosing breeds, picking names, and imagining your first basket of fresh eggs—only to realize you forgot something important.

Preparing your setup before your chickens arrive will make the transition easier for both you and your new flock.

The exact supplies you’ll need will depend on whether you’re bringing home baby chicks or adult chickens, but there are several essentials every new chicken keeper should have ready.

Here’s what we recommend having before your new feathered family members arrive.

1. A Safe Chicken Coop

Your coop is one of the most important investments you’ll make.

Chickens need somewhere safe, dry, well-ventilated, and protected from predators.

A good coop should include:

Adequate floor space
Good ventilation
Roosting bars
Nesting boxes for laying hens
Secure doors and latches
Protection from rain and snow
Easy access for cleaning
Predator-resistant construction

Don’t rely on chicken wire alone for areas predators can reach. Chicken wire is excellent for keeping chickens contained, but determined predators can potentially tear through it.

Hardware cloth is generally a much stronger choice for predator protection.

And if you’re deciding between two coop sizes?

Go bigger.

Chicken math has a funny way of making that extra space disappear!

2. A Secure Outdoor Run

If your chickens won’t be safely free-ranging, they’ll need a secure outdoor area where they can exercise and enjoy natural chicken behaviours.

Chickens love to:

Scratch
Peck
Forage
Dust bathe
Sunbathe
Explore

Your run should provide enough space for birds to move around comfortably and get away from one another when needed.

Predator protection is important here, too.

Depending on predators in your area, you may need to secure the sides, top, and even the ground around your enclosure.

3. Chicken Feed

Not all chicken feed is the same.

Choose feed appropriate for your chickens’ age and stage of development.

Baby Chicks

Young chicks generally require a properly formulated chick starter.

Growing Chickens

As chickens mature, they may transition to an appropriate grower feed.

Laying Hens

Mature laying hens are commonly fed a properly formulated layer ration, which is designed to provide nutrition appropriate for egg production.

Always check the manufacturer’s feeding instructions, as recommendations can vary between products.

A quality complete feed should make up the majority of your flock’s diet.

4. A Feeder

Technically, chickens will happily eat food scattered everywhere.

Your wallet may be less enthusiastic about that arrangement.

A proper chicken feeder helps keep feed contained, clean, and accessible.

Choose one that’s appropriately sized for your flock and allows multiple chickens to eat comfortably.

If you have a larger flock, providing more than one feeding station can also help prevent dominant chickens from blocking others from eating.

5. A Waterer

Fresh, clean water should always be available.

Chicken waterers come in many styles, including:

Traditional gravity waterers
Nipple waterers
Cup systems
Hanging waterers

The best option is one that’s easy for you to clean and refill.

Place your waterer somewhere chickens can easily access it without constantly filling it with bedding and dirt.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly chickens can turn perfectly clean water into something resembling swamp soup.

6. Bedding

You’ll need absorbent bedding for the coop.

Common options include:

Pine shavings
Hemp bedding
Chopped straw
Other poultry-safe bedding products

Bedding helps absorb moisture and manure while providing chickens with a comfortable surface.

Whatever you choose, keeping the coop clean and dry is extremely important.

Wet, dirty bedding can contribute to ammonia buildup and poor air quality.

7. Nesting Boxes

If you’re bringing home laying hens or pullets approaching laying age, you’ll need nesting boxes.

Nesting boxes provide hens with a comfortable, private place to lay their eggs.

You don’t need one nesting box for every hen.

In fact, even when several beautiful nesting boxes are available, your hens may collectively decide that one particular box is THE box and line up to use it.

Because chickens.

Keep nesting boxes clean and provide comfortable nesting material.

8. Roosting Bars

Chickens naturally prefer sleeping off the ground.

Your coop should have sturdy roosting bars where your birds can comfortably perch at night.

Make sure there’s enough roosting space for everyone.

Roosts should also be positioned so birds aren’t sleeping directly above feeders, waterers, or nesting boxes unless you particularly enjoy cleaning chicken poop off everything.

9. Grit

Chickens don’t have teeth.

Instead, they use their muscular gizzard to grind food.

Small stones or particles known as grit help with this process.

Chickens with access to suitable outdoor ground may find some grit naturally, but supplemental poultry grit may be necessary depending on their environment and diet.

Make sure you’re purchasing grit appropriate for the age and size of your birds.

10. Oyster Shell for Laying Hens

Laying eggs requires a significant amount of calcium.

Many chicken keepers provide laying hens with crushed oyster shell or another appropriate calcium supplement in a separate container.

This allows hens to consume additional calcium as needed.

Oyster shell and grit perform completely different jobs, so don’t confuse the two.

Grit helps grind food.

Oyster shell provides supplemental calcium.

11. Feed Storage Containers

Chicken feed attracts more than chickens.

Mice, rats, raccoons, and other animals may be very interested in your feed supply.

Store feed somewhere dry in a secure container that helps prevent moisture and pests from getting inside.

Proper storage also helps keep your feed fresh and reduces waste.

If You’re Bringing Home Baby Chicks

Baby chicks require additional equipment because they can’t regulate their body temperature effectively when they’re very young.

Before bringing chicks home, you’ll need a properly prepared brooder.

12. A Brooder

A brooder is a safe, enclosed area where chicks live during their first weeks.

It should provide:

Enough room to move around
Appropriate bedding
Food
Water
A safe heat source
Protection from pets and drafts

Remember that chicks grow very quickly.

That adorable little container that looks enormous on day one can become overcrowded surprisingly fast.

13. A Safe Heat Source

Young chicks require supplemental warmth.

Many keepers use a brooder heating plate, which allows chicks to move underneath it when they need warmth and move away when they’re comfortable.

Heat lamps have traditionally been used for brooding chicks, but they require extremely careful setup because of their fire risk.

Whatever heating method you choose, follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and make sure chicks can move away from the heat.

Watching chick behaviour is also important. Chicks constantly huddled together and loudly peeping may be too cold, while chicks consistently avoiding the heat may be too warm.

14. Chick-Sized Feeders and Waterers

Full-sized chicken equipment may not be suitable for tiny chicks.

Choose feeders and waterers designed for chicks.

Water containers should be designed and positioned to minimize drowning risk while still allowing easy access.

Chicks are also impressively talented at kicking bedding into their water, so expect frequent cleaning!

A Basic Chicken First Aid Kit

Hopefully you won’t need it very often, but it’s much better to have basic supplies before something happens.

Consider keeping items such as:

Disposable gloves
Sterile saline
Gauze
Non-stick wound pads
Bandage wrap
Small scissors
Tweezers
Clean towels
A poultry-safe wound care product
Electrolyte products intended for poultry
A small separate crate or enclosure for temporary isolation

Keep emergency supplies together somewhere easy to access.

It’s also a good idea to know which veterinarian in your area, if any, treats poultry before you actually need one.

Cleaning Supplies

Yes, chickens poop.

A lot.

Having dedicated cleaning supplies makes coop maintenance much easier.

Consider keeping:

Scraper
Small shovel
Broom
Bucket
Cleaning brush
Disposable gloves
Poultry-safe cleaning products

Keep your chicken equipment separate from household kitchen cleaning supplies.

Predator-Proof Locks and Hardware

Raccoons are particularly talented at opening simple latches.

Look over your coop carefully before your chickens arrive.

Ask yourself:

Could something pull this open?

Could something dig underneath here?

Could a predator reach through this opening?

Could something climb over the run?

Could a small predator squeeze through that gap?

You may need:

Carabiners
Locking latches
Hardware cloth
Screws and washers
Additional fencing
Run covers

It’s much easier to fix weaknesses before your chickens move in.

Dust Bath Area

Dust bathing may look ridiculous, but it’s completely normal chicken behaviour.

Chickens roll, wiggle, kick, and fluff themselves through dry material to help maintain their feathers.

If your chickens don’t have access to a naturally dry area, you can provide a designated dust-bathing spot.

Don’t be alarmed the first time you see a chicken stretched out motionless in the dirt.

Many new chicken owners have experienced the brief panic of:

“OH NO, IS SHE DEAD?!”

…followed immediately by the chicken standing up, shaking dirt everywhere, and walking away.

Welcome to chicken keeping.

Things You Don’t Need to Buy Immediately

Walking into a farm or feed store as a new chicken keeper can be dangerous for your bank account.

There are endless chicken products available, but you don’t need everything on day one.

Fancy toys, expensive treats, elaborate feeders, decorative coop accessories, and every supplement on the shelf aren’t necessary to get started.

Focus first on:

Safety, shelter, nutrition, clean water, cleanliness, and adequate space.

You can always add enrichment and accessories later.

And you probably will.

Because somehow chickens become a shopping hobby, too.

Your First-Chicken Shopping Checklist

Before your chickens arrive, make sure you have:

Safe chicken coop
Secure outdoor run or enclosure
Age-appropriate chicken feed
Feeder
Waterer
Poultry-safe bedding
Roosting bars
Nesting boxes for laying-age birds
Appropriate poultry grit
Calcium source for laying hens
Secure feed storage
Basic first aid supplies
Cleaning supplies
Predator-resistant hardware

If You’re Getting Chicks

You’ll also need:

Brooder
Safe heat source
Chick starter
Chick-sized feeder
Chick-safe waterer
Appropriate brooder bedding

Set Everything Up Before They Arrive

One of the best things you can do as a new chicken keeper is have everything completely ready before bringing your birds home.

Fill the feeder.

Prepare the water.

Add bedding.

Check every lock.

Inspect your fencing.

Set up and test your brooder if you’re getting chicks.

Then when your chickens finally arrive, you can focus on helping them settle into their new home instead of making an emergency trip to the feed store.

You don’t need the fanciest coop or every chicken accessory available.

You simply need to provide your flock with the essentials: a safe home, good nutrition, clean water, appropriate space, protection from predators, and attentive care.

Get those basics right, and you’ll be off to a fantastic start.

And maybe leave a little extra room in that coop.

You said you’re only getting six chickens.

We know.

We’ve heard that one before. 🐔❤️