20 MUST HAVE Products for Chicken Keepers

In this article you will find the TOP 20 MUST HAVE Products for Chicken Keepers. I have personally used all of these products and highly recommend them for anyone with a flock of backyard chickens.

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#1 Brinsea Incubator

This little incubator is a rockstar. I have had 100% hatch rates every time I use it. I order hatching eggs from My Pet Chicken and my kids and I have an educational home hatch. Excellent remote learning/homeschooling activity!

#2 Brinsea Egg Candler

Awesome little tool to add intrigue to the home hatch. I typically candle my eggs every 5 days to see the progression. It’s so exciting to see the heart beating and the space in the egg getting smaller as the chick grows!

#3 1/4 in Hardware Cloth

PLEASE don’t use chicken wire to protect your flock. 1/4 in hardware cloth is extremely sturdy and impossible for most animals to get through. The openings in chicken wire are very easy for snakes, rodents, weasels to get into. See my post on building a predator proof coop here: Chicken Coop Construction: How to Build a Predator Proof Chicken Coop

#4 Brinsea Brooder Heater

BEST little heater on the market! This heater is a must have for your brooder. Much safer than a heat lamp! It’s also more natural for the chicks not to have a red light shining on them day and night. Under the heater is dark and cozy and mimics the mama hen. See my post on building a safe brooder for your chicks: DIY Chick Brooder

#5 Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

This is something I use every week during the summer and monthly in the winter. It helps keep the bugs and mites away in the coop. I clean up the poop and feathers and then sprinkle this around. Make sure you get food grade DE! The chickens may end up eating it as the peck the ground.

#6 Compostable Nesting Pads

Let’s talk nesting pads. I have used both compostable and plastic. And I like both! These compostable nesting pads work great and can be thrown in the compost bin with the other chicken waste. They are cozy and in winter I use two in each nesting box — one on the bottom and one in the back to block the draft from the nesting box door.

#7 Plastic Nesting Pads

I like these better than compostable for summer. I have a few broody hens right now who insist on sleeping in the nesting boxes and the broody poop is disgusting. These shake off easily and can be cleaned with the hose and reused. If you live in a warm climate these are GREAT for year round use!

#8 Forage Seed

I love to spoil my chickens and this is something they LOVE! I plant this seed in window boxes for them. It grows quickly (1-2 weeks) so if you rotate window boxes they will always have a fresh one every couple days.

#9 Window Boxes

See #8 above. This is what I plant the seeds in. They have held up very well!

#10 Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens

This is the best reference book for all things chickens. Health, shelter, behavior, breeding, and everything between.

#11 Apple Cider Vinegar

I add a few tablespoons to my chickens 5 gallon waterer in the summer. It has countless health benefits! ACV is a natural de-wormer, is great for a chickens digestive track, and keeps chickens from getting pasty butt. Please only use organic apple cider vinegar with the “mother.” The processed type doesn’t have the same benefits. DO NOT USE WITH A METAL CONTAINER OR WHEN YOU ARE USING A BUCKET HEATER IN THE WINTER. The acidity will corrode the metal.

#12 Bucket Heater

One of the many issues keeping chickens in a northern climate — the water freezing. A bucket heater is a must have item in the winter. It heats the water just enough to keep it from freezing. See my post about Chicken & Winter here: Chickens & Winter

#13 Egg Basket

A cute looking basket will make gathering eggs a highlight of your morning routine!

#14 Egg Spiral Organizer

During the summer my flock of 16 are egg machines! With an abundance of eggs comes the issue of keeping track of their freshness. This is a great way to stay organized and know which eggs should be used next!

#15 Flock Block

My girls love this treat. And unlike other treats it lasts forever. It’s also a great boredom buster!

#16 Coop Heater

Not 100% necessary but really nice to have in northern climates. See my post about heating the chicken coop: Chickens & Winter

#17 Large Suet Feeder

This suet feeder is super handy to have. It can hang numerous places inside and outside the coop and I use it weekly for our leftover leafy greens and bread. It helps them to eat it slower and it makes a fun activity!

#18 Tube Lights

In the winter egg production slows and can sometimes stop completely. The easiest way to keep it going is my giving a little supplemental light in the mornings. Pair it with a timer that comes on at 5am and goes off at 8am. See more about Chickens & Winter here: Chickens & Winter

#19 Nipple Waterer

Clean water is another issue in the chicken coop. The best method I have found is to make a 5 gallon bucket waterer using these poultry nipples. Easy to make and will keep your girls hydrated with clean water. I have 16 chickens and two 5 gal bucket waterers and I only have to refill them once a week. I’m all about keeping the coop chores to a minimum! See my post on making an automatic chicken feeder here: Automatic Chicken Feeder

#20 Rubber Bucket

I use these all the time to give treats. In the summer I freeze veggies and water in cake pans. I feed it to my chickens in this bucket and let them slowly peck at the ice. Keeps them cool and it’s entertaining for them!