Poultry may seem simple, but they all do need some enrichment and other supplies like any other pet.
Sections
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Feeding supplies
Minerals and supplements
Treats
DIY treat mix
Feeders
Waterers
Feeding supplies
You will need some supplies for feeding including buckets and scoops
They make many styles and colors of buckets
Miller Manufacturing
Great for portioning
Whirley DrinkWorks SureScoop (1 Scoop)
Minerals and supplements
Chickens do best when these are offered free choice
Great option for grit if you don't know need much since it does have probiotics in it
Manna Pro Poultry Grit with Probiotics
Again great for those who don't need a whole ton of supplments
MANNA PRO Oyster Shells
This is great for making sure your chickens get enough calcium in thier diet
Small Pet Select 100% Flaked Oyster Shells
The third brand I would reccomend for Oyster shells
PECKING ORDER Oyster Shell Poultry Feed
Treats
These are all great options since they will give your chickens nutrients. They are great to use to tame your chickens and also to just scatter around so they have to find them
This is one of the cheapest way to buy dried mealworms, dried insects are great treats since they are naturally apart of their diet
CoohGrubs Dried Mealworms
Again one of the cheapest ways to get dried fly larvae
Coohgrubs Dried Black Soldier Fly
They have four flavors these are for their treat holder, that you can find in the toy section
HAPPY HEN TREATS Treat sqaure
Fish can be great for chickens
HAPPY HEN TREATS Fish Fest Poultry Treats
Great healthy treat option
HAPPY HEN TREATS Shrimp Sensation Poultry Treats
Great option for crickets
HAPPY HEN TREATS Cricket Craze
DIY treat mix
You can choose what you want to make your mix with. These are just things I like to feed my chickens and also what I find in chicken seed mixes that are sold, since it's often times cheaper to make them in the long run than buying them. I suggest add...
The best way to feed sunflower seeds is buying them in bulk you can mix them with other treats to save money on seed mixes. Sunflowers give your birds a healthy fat in moderation.
Wholesome Harvest Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
Just like sunflower seeds I love buying these in bulk to make my own treat mixes, flax seed is packed with omega-3
Great River Milling Organic Brown Flaxseed
They are rich in minerals and vitamins so they are great for my seed mix and I can save a bit of money in bulk
NOW Foods, Pumpkin Seeds, Raw and Unsalted,
Great since they have fiber and protein in them
Grain Millers Whole Oat Groats
This is different way of giving chickens oats, and this is the best form of any processed oats
Great River Milling Organic Old Fashioned Oats
Its hard to find Milo but it's great option
Milo, Red Sorghum
Great for giving your chickens some energy
Great River Milling Organic Soft White Wheat
Great source of fiber
Great River Milling Organic Hulled Millet
Barley is great for chickens
Great River Milling Organic Hulled Barley Grain
Rasins are a great option for adding a fruit to the mix
Organic Flame Raisins Seedless No Sugar 10LB
This is another great dried fruit option
C.J. Dannemiller Dried Papaya Chunks, Bulk
Great option for bulk cranberries
Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
Peanuts are a great source of protein
Trailmark Naturals Raw Shelled Peanuts
Great option for adding protein
Sincerely Nuts Roasted Soybeans Unsalted
These are great for calcuim
Unearthed Premium Coastline Calcium & Shells
When serving the treat mix you can add some molasses for some extra nutrients
Chefs Quality All Natural Golden Molasses
Unlike a lot of animals chickens can benefit from Asparagus. This brand also sells other freeze dried veggies but not all of them are good prices compared to other brands
Ready Harvest Freeze Dried Asparagus
Great for adding color and nurtients
Gourmanity Dried Red and Green Bell Peppers Mix
This brand is great for buying other dried veggies other than just carrots or peppers
Gourmanity Dried Carrots
This is the best way to give peas since it keeps the most amount of nutrients
Food to Live Organic Green Peas
There are a lot of brands that sell freeze dried mixed veggies but a lot of them are more for soup so they contain toxic ingredients for chickens
Freeze-Dried Mixed Vegetables
Great option for dried tomatoes
Galen Sun Dried Tomatoes
This is great for thier feathers
3 Lbs Dried Rosemary Leaves
Contains a lot of antioxidants
6 lbs Oregano
Rich source of vitamins A and K, which is great for improving blood clotting and maintaining strong bones. It's also an antioxidant and fungicide.
2 Lbs Dried Cilantro/Coriander Flakes
Should not be used as a dewormer but has several other health benfits
Fresh Finest Bulk 4LB Crushed Red Pepper Spices
It's anti-parasitic, antibacterial, and antioxidant so it good for promiting good health
2 lbs Dried Thyme Leaves
Make sure you know how to handle this correctly but it can be great for adding to the mix
TradeGrade 100% Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth
These are great for adding a good floral treat into the mix
Organic Chamomile Flowers
Great option during the colder months when you can pick it yourself
MagJo Naturals Wild-Harvest Dandelion Leaf
An antibacterial agent that can help boost immunity and respiratory health.
Frontier Organic Echinacea Purpurea Herb
Repels insects and promotes laying
Bulk fennel seeds
Aiding digestion, calming, and has a ton of antioxidants to name a few
Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Great for relieving stress and improving circulation, plus the floral smell helps deter flies and other annoying pests
OneDove 2 Pounds Dried Lavender Buds
keeps flies and mosquitoes away, and the same smell can calm birds. Due to the vitamins and minerals, it can also be fed for immune-boosting, digestion support, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidants.
Frontier Co-op Organic Lemongrass
Contain a lot of calcium and protein; make sure to handle them properly
Frontier Co-op Organic Stinging Nettle Leaf
Repels insects and helps against parasites
Anthony's Organic Peppermint Leaves
Excellent appetite stimulant
Unpretentious Tarragon Lea
Stimulates digestion, appetite, and serves as a general antioxidant
TAJ Dill Seeds
Just as great as dill seed, it helps with stimulating digestion, appetite, and as a general antioxidant
Unpretentious Dill Weed
Anti-inflammatory (prevents bruising) and anti-disease
SFL Chervil (8 oz)
Helps with digestion, reduces nausea, and helps with travel sickness. It also has a ton of minerals and vitamins.
Frontier Co-op Ginger Root
Feeders
Having a proper feeding setup is very important make sure you know the size you need for how big your flock is.
This style of feeder is better than other feeders out there for bigger flocks since more chickens can eat it at once
LITTLE GIANT Reel-Top Poultry Range Feeder, 36-in
I don't like using automatic feeders unless they eat all of the feed or at least the majority of it since I worry about mold growth so I would suggest when getting a automatic feeder you do the same but that's just a suggestion. But this style is amazing for preventing food waste. This brand has other sizes but for most small flock owners this is probably the best option,
This is the other style of feeder I like since it helps prevent food waste I prefer for feeders to have legs than hang them
Little Giant Poultry Feeder with Legs
I don't have this brand specify but I have the same style of product and I love to use it as an extra feeder so my chickens don't all crowd around one feeder
ZYLINA Snack-n-Feed Picnic Table
Waterers
Having a proper water setup is very important make sure you know the size you need for how big your flock is.
Great option for a heated bucket for those who have cold winters you will need to heat their water source(s)
FARM INNOVATORS Heated Poultry Drinker, 2-gal
Great option for a small flock
Rentacoop Square 4-Port
Great option for a larger flock
RentACoop Round 6 Port
Good option for chickens who don't know how to use any sort of nipples or cups
Little Giant Poultry Waterer Legs 2
I love these autocup options since it comes with a cup to sit in the mounted cup for easy cleaning
RENTACOOP DIY Chicken Waterer Auto-Fill Cups
Toys and Enrichment
Giving your chickens fun things to do will prevent them from doing behaviors you don't want them to and overall keeping the flock healthier and happier.
I have these in a few different sizes and they can be an easy enrichment toy you just need to shove some of their favorite fruits and veggies into the toy and hang it
JW Pet Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy | Durable Rubber Flexible Fun for Fetch & Chewing
Great toy
Ware Peck N Play Chicken Ball Toy (3 Balls)
Great toy to make them work for their feed
Interactive Slow Feed
when supervised they can be a great activity, you can freeze whatever you put on there for a cool and it will take longer to eat
Lick mats
Can be great for hanging in the coop for bad weather days
PETKORE Luna Ring with Hanging Kit =
Any brand will work
Chicken Xylophone Toy
Good for a few chickens
Ware Manufacturing Chicken Treat Roller
The bigger sizes are great for a large flock
Engage Your Flock - RentACoop Chicken Treat Dispenser
Mirrors are best for small flocks but they need to be shatterproof. What kind beyond that doesn't really matter. For sizing smaller ones will be marketed for children while bigger ones will be for adults.
Shatterproof Mirrors
There are many diffrent sytles and materuals that you can find them made out of. They don't need to be hung in the chicken's area you can hang them close so they can just hear it if you won't want them touching it. They make ones for chickens made ou...
Wind chimes
You can buy these or even make them youself
Chicken Swing
This is marketed for dogs but I have one and my chickens love it
TRIXIE Turn Around Activity
They have many sizes and styles my chickens love them
Pawhut Playsets
This brand also sells blocks to put in this holder (you can find them in the treat section) but you can use it for other treats or you can even DIY your own treats too
HAPPY HEN TREATS Chicken Square Treat Basket
Nesting
Making sure your nesting setup is proper will make the production of them better and sometimes even a better quality since the happier the hen is, the better the eggs will be.
I have used these in two ways: to get chickens to lay in thier laying boxes and to leave out so predators that go after the fake eggs won't try and steal the real deal in the chicken coop once they get fruasted with the fake ones
Happy Hen Treats Ceramic Nest Eggs
These are great for keeping your nesting boxes smelling great you can make this cheaper yourself with buying your own dried herbs but sometimes paying a little more for the convenience is worth it for some poeple
HAPPY HEN TREATS Chicken Nesting Herbs, 1-lb bag
Chick supplies
If you are getting chicks make sure you know what you are doing since they are much harder to care for than adult chickens.
This is the third brand for heating that I recommend
MY FAVORITE CHICKEN Chick Brooder Heating Plate
If you plan on feeding your young chickens anything more than just chick crumbles then they will need access to grit to help prevent crop issues
MANNA PRO Chick Grit with Probiotics Chicken, 5-lb bag
Cleaning
Making sure you keep your chicken's area clean is part of making sure they stay in good health and are happy.
Great option for making sure certian areas that are prone to bugs like nesting boxes stay clean and bug free
MANNA PRO Poultry Protector Fly & Insect Control, 1-pt
You don't need to waste money on “egg cleaner” you just need some soap
Dawn Platinum Dish Soap Liquid, Fresh Rain, 2x54.8oz
Storage
Keeping your feed stored properly can make sure you don't end up with moldy feed or have pests eat it
Great option
Rubbermaid BRUTE 20 Gal Feed Container w/Lid
Great option for plastic
Tuff Stuff Feed storage bucket
Great metal option
HEATH Galvanized Metal Storage Container, 10-lb
Health
I have a whole board made for first aid and health, but these are the most commonly used ones, or are just for chickens. Chickens are prey animals, so you need to know about their health, since once they start to show signs, they are already very sic...
You really should vaccinate your chickens against Coccidiosis but this is a good option to treat it
