Skip & Alison have been chicken-keeping for a few years now, and after lots of research, and trial and error, have a list of supplies that they rely upon to keep their chickens happy and healthy and clean. Clickable links below:

Chickens need three basic things to keep them alive, happy and healthy: HOUSING, FOOD & WATER. Let’s break it down below to show you how to provide for them in the easiest possible way:

HOUSING:

We have previously featured Carolina Coops, who custom builds coops like they did for Rachel & Sean Duffy last fall. But they also have a great website called the Flock Shop that offers everything you need to build your own coop!

Every henhouse should have a COOP (where the chickens sleep safely at night) and a RUN (where the chickens hang out during the day). It is VITAL that each area is predator proof, and we recommend you use hardware cloth – NOT chicken wire – to contain your run. Chicken wire is designed to keep chickens IN, but is too weak to keep predators OUT. Remember, EVERY animal wants to get to your chickens since they are the bottom of the food chain!! Each area should have certain elements that help the chickens live their best life, like roosting bars for them to roost (sleep) on at night, ladders that help them gain access to each area, nesting boxes for them to lay eggs in, and supplies that hold their food and water.

On the FOX plaza, we have featured:

Rope wrapped roosting bar

Interior henhouse ladder

Henhouse ramp

Nest box egg hutch

Hardware cloth

Basic poultry watering system

In the coop – BEDDING AND NEST PADS: EATON PET & PASTURE

SKIP20 for 20% off first time customers!

THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR COOP CARE

Eaton Pet & Pasture takes the hassle out of coop care, making it easy to keep your flock healthy, your coop clean, and your routine stress-free. Its premium products are designed to simplify coop maintenance, using high-quality, USA-sourced ingredients. Born on an organic farm in the Northeast, Eaton Pet & Pasture is the one-stop shop for making coop freshness effortless with trusted, effective solutions.

Skip & Alison LOVE the Hemp bedding for the coop! It’s ideal for the deep litter method in which you can clean out the coop just once a year while keeping it odor free and clean by adding more hemp every couple of weeks. HEMP is the #1 choice for bedding because it’s dry and minimal dust, and moisture is the enemy when it comes to keeping a clean and odor-free coop! Pine and hay holds moisture and can get moldy, while hemp is the safest choice for your chickens!

Skip & Alison have also been using Eaton’s Nesting Pads in their nesting boxes since they got their coop! They’re crafted in the USA from 100% sustainably harvested aspen excelsior, these pads provide a soft and cozy spot for your laying hens. They make egg collection a breeze, reduce breakage, and maintain a clean, healthy environment.
Nesting Herbs are an essential part of keeping chickens happy!! This aromatic combination of calendula, basil, lavender, blue cornflower, lemon balm, rose petals and rosemary helps to naturally freshen and enhance your coop, creating a calm and inviting space for your hens. The soothing properties of each herb also support your flock’s well-being, encouraging a serene nesting environment. They even have Roost Refresh, a blend of hemp and herbs combined to keep the roosting area and coop smelling fresh and bug free, since the herbs help keep the flies away.
Another Must-Have is Revitalime… it neutralizes odors, absorbs moisture, and naturally repels pests—all while being 100% safe for chickens, pets, and plants. Sprinkle it in your coop before adding fresh bedding and all around the outside of your run to keep pests away and things smelling fresh.
GRUBS!!!! The ultimate treat that keeps your girls having full feathers and laying those eggs!! Black soldier fly larvae are the most nutritious and delicious treat for your feathered family member. Packed full of protein, calcium, phosphorus, fiber, lysine, and dietary fat, our premium grubs have 50x more calcium than mealworms. ESPECIALLY useful during the molting season, when eggs slow down because their chicken bodies are trying to make new feathers.

FOOD AND WATERERS by COOPWORX – PROMO CODE “SKIP” FOR 5% OFF!

Skip & Alison LOVE the Coopworx food and water silos because it takes all the work out of maintaining food and water for the chickens. They hold so much feed and water, that you fill ’em and forget it!!

KEY FEATURES:

• Roost resistant, lockable hinged lid to keep the lid clean, make it easy to fill and keep critters out at night.

• Rust-proof, heavy duty, roto-molded body with anodized aluminum legs.

• Elevated design with telescoping legs keeps the feed off the ground to prevent scratch-out and drag-out which causes feed waste and attract rodents.

• Integrated drip edges along the lid and body of the feeder to keep feed dry in the rain.

• Food Grade HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) body with UV stabilizers addrd to last for years outdoors.

• Custom molded, soft touch feed ports with optional port covers to close off ports as needed.

• Available with **telescoping legs or a rodent resistant telescoping post with x-base or **stake mount option.

• The 8-gallon water silo has six custom designed water ports with optional Hudson Autofill shut-off valve to eliminate the need to fill by hand a Farm Innovators 250w deicer to prevent freezing in the winter.

• Large 80 lb. capacity feed silo allows you to add a 50 lb. bag of feed before it is empty eliminating the need to store a half empty bag of feed.

• A New Wall Mount 35 lb. capacity Feed Silo and 7-gallon capacity Waterer!

• CoopWorx bodies are molded in the USA, and assembled and shipped from our manufacturing facility in Wilmington, NC.

First Aid:

It’s a GREAT idea to keep supplies on hand in the event of an injury or illness. Not all veterinarians see poultry, and a. lot of chicken keepers must care for their own flock’s wounds. Here’s things Skip & Alison keep on hand for typical problems: