Getting chickens! Where do you get your supplies?

[Sadieatthebridge]

We are getting chickens!! I'm just writing a shipping list:

Layers mash
Mixed corn
Oyster shell/grit
Garlic powder
Bokashi bran
Diamataceous earth
Red mite power
Wormer
Poultry spice
Feeder
Drinker
Bedding

We have a Green Frog house, and are building our run imminently

Is there a cheap online place I should use? Is my list okay? Obviously we can get all the supplies from the local breeder we will be getting the chickens from, but I don't expect they will be the best price (and they don't do organic pellets).

Any recommendations? TIA

[Sadieatthebridge]

Oh, and apple cider vinegar....

[Jaynebxl]

Good grief! We buy layers mash at the local farm shop and that's it. I cook and crush their egg shells to give them calcium.
We buy a bale of straw from time to time and have a big metal drinker which has lasted years. We use a plastic tray for their food. That's it.

[Sadieatthebridge]

Have I gone overboard on the shopping list?

Garlic powder and bokashi bran are meant to be good for less sloppy, less smelly poos, as well as antibacterial, antiworm properties.

ACV is good for overall health and condition, as is Poultry Spice.

Don't you use diatomaceous earth? I thought that was a necessity for preventing red mite?

DH will be pleased to read your reply

[Jaynebxl]

I wouldn't bother with any of those things. We've never had red mite - I think the main thing there is not to use felt. We've never had overly sloppy poos and really I'm not sure I'd be that fussed if I did. We've kept hens for years and they've always been healthy and good layers.

[Jaynebxl]

I do throw in oyster shell from time to time but mostly they just get what they need from me recycling their shells.
The only things I forgot to mention are tins of value sweet corn and big tubs of meal worm from B and M where it is miles cheaper. I use thsee as treats or to tempt the hens back into the run.

[Thumbcat]

Flytes of Fancy is a good website for supplies but you may find a local farm/horsey type shop stocks what you need.

For the nest box I use paper from the shredder.
I buy a bale of aubiose for the run floor (it's on slabs) and have sanitising powder for keeping the run fresh.
I put some diamataceous powder in their dust bath.
I've had a sack of bokashi bran since I got the chickens a year ago and have always mixed a handful in with their pellets but I have no idea whether it actually does anything (although they are remarkably smell-free).
I started off putting ACV in the water every few weeks but don't bother any more.
I pellets, mixed corn, mixed grit & oyster shell and huge amounts of dried meal worms. For worming I buy a small sack of pellets with flubenvet online once every 3-4 months.
I might get some sort of poultry spice/tonic when they have their first moult this Autumn.

[andantecantabile]

We have everything that Thumbcat has, including the Aubiose bedding which seems pretty good.

We have the vast majority of things on your list to be honest, perhaps we have gone overboard but I just like to think we are prepared!

A couple of ours have a tendency to peck their own feathers, so some anti pecking spray and also violet wound spray might be good if they peck too hard. Thankfully ours haven't broken the skin yet but one is looking quite red so we spray her to try and prevent her from pecking any more.

We also have pecking blocks to entertain them in the run.

We bought all our original supplies from Flyte So Fancy and then now go to a shop called Countrywide for any other supplies.

If your chickens will be roaming your garden like ours are, you might want a small shovel and scraper to pick up all the poo (of which there is A LOT!)

For treats, ours are mad for lettuce, apples and grapes, and cucumber.

Enjoy your chickens! We've had ours for about 3 months so far and they're fab.

Do you know which kinds you will get?

[Sadieatthebridge]

Thanks everyone. We're getting hybrids rather than fancy, probably a Gingernut, a Bluebell or Speckeldy, an Amber or Silver and a Copper Black. Or a Black Tail. Or a Rhode Red. I think we'll get 4 but not sure which ones yet.

I'll check out F&F website too.

Our run will be a fenced off area of the garden. At the moment it's just bare soil with the odd tree stump and weed. Do we need anything on the run floor or will it be fine as it is?

[Sadieatthebridge]

Oooops, FSF website.

[Shallishanti]

I WOULD get the diatmeoceous earth- we lost 4 hens to red mite last summer (first time in at least 10 yrs) it was awful and I use it all the time now.
If you can afford it I would also get one of these
www.grandpasfeeders.co.uk/
it will save you money in the long run and cuts down ratty problems

[notasausage]

We have a green frog house and never had red mite - scaly leg mite - yes, and lice, omg the lice!! Not convinced diatom powder works at all.

[Sadieatthebridge]

Lice?!? How do I prevent lice? Is the diatomaceous earth meant to do that?

[newmumwithquestions]

Did you ever work out what is good to help prevent lice? Reading this thread with interest....