Starting With Hens

For those of you who are contemplating keeping hens for the first time here is a list of all the things that you would need and a rough idea of cost for the essentials.

Accommodation, feed and equipment

• Readymade coop suitable for 6 hens - £250
• Plastic Water hopper - £10
• Plastic feed hopper with cover - £12
• Coop mounted grit dish - £3
• Bag of layers pellets - £9
• Bag of poultry corn - £8
• Bag of poultry grit -£2
• Bale of shavings for bedding - £4
• Bale of straw for nest boxes - £4
• Miscellaneous bits and bobs such as coop disinfectant, poultry spice, poultry tonic, wormer, lice powder red mite spray, cod liver oil, Vaseline diatom etc - £50.

The Chickens themselves

• Ex battery hens £1 each (but due to the poor condition of the birds you might want to add special Ex-bat feed to the list above).
• Unsexed growers or hybrid pullets range from £5 to £15 (for growers you will need to add growers pellets to the list above).
• Pure breed - £20 + dependant on quality.

Other things you might need

• A suitably sized run or fox proof electric poultry netting and battery.
• Plastic feed bins to keep their food safe from vermin, plus a scoop.
• Poultry carrier for taking them to shows, vets etc.
• Heat lamps, lighting or heated pads to prevent water freezing in bad weather.
• Automatic pop hole opener.
• Poultry books, magazines and breed society fees.

Hope this helps!