What to Look for in a Beginner Chicken Keeping Starter Kit
Last Updated: November 5, 2026
Quick Summary
A beginner chicken keeping starter kit should cover feed, bedding, a drinker, a feeder, grit and a safe place to roost. At Chartley Chucks in Staffordshire, our starter kits for beginners bundle feed and bedding so nothing gets missed on day one, excluding coops, runs and birds.
- Choose a drinker that is easy to clean and stable enough that hens cannot tip it.
- Pick a feeder with a twistlock base and an anti-scrape ring to reduce waste.
- Match feed to bird age: chicks need crumb, laying hens a layers feed.
- Remember grit, as hens have no teeth and swallow small stones to grind food.
- Choose housing sized to your flock, as the coop and run decision matters most.
Table of Contents
- What a Beginner Chicken Keeping Starter Kit Should Contain
- Chicken Keeping Equipment for Beginners: Drinkers, Feeders and Grit
- Chicken Feed for Beginners and the Coop and Run Decision
- Frequently Asked Questions
What a Beginner Chicken Keeping Starter Kit Should Contain
A beginner chicken keeping starter kit covers feed, bedding, a drinker, a feeder, grit and a safe place to roost. At Chartley Chucks in Staffordshire, we see too many new keepers buy a coop first and find the small essentials missing.
A good chicken keeping starter kit should contain:
- A drinker sized to your flock - minimum sizes ,3 hens 3L, 6 hens 6L , 10 hens 10L etc…
- A feeder with an anti-scrape ring - recommended size 3 hens 3Kg, 6 hens 6Kg etc….
- Layers pellets or chick crumb, by bird age
- Bedding and wood chips for the run
- Mixed poultry grit or gastro grit
- A basic health care pack
Our starter kits for beginners bundle feed and bedding so nothing gets missed on day one, excluding coops, runs and birds.
Chicken Keeping Equipment for Beginners: Drinkers, Feeders and Grit
Chicken keeping equipment for beginners comes down to three workhorses: a drinker, a feeder and grit.
Drinkers should be easy to clean and stable enough that hens cannot tip them; translucent models show the water level at a glance. Our quality chicken drinkers run from chick sizes up to 12 litres.
Feeders with a twistlock base and an anti-scrape ring are available. Browse our chicken feeders in sizes from 1kg to 10kg.
Grit is the piece most beginners forget: hens have no teeth, so they swallow small stones to grind food. A 1.5kg bag of mixed poultry grit is available.
Starter kits - feed bedding etc →
Watch out: green and white feeders make red mite easier to spot in dark crevices.
Chicken Feed for Beginners and the Coop and Run Decision
Chicken feed for beginners depends on bird age: chicks need crumb, and laying hens a layers feed.
Layers pellets are available in 20kg bags, which are shipped by pallet rather than as singles.
The coop and run decision matters more than any single purchase. Choose housing sized to your flock.
Our poultry housing and coops include Nestera plastic lodges and Easicoop houses.
A kit bundles feed and bedding, while buying separately lets you size every item to your flock.
Item |
Why It Matters |
Typical Priority |
|---|---|---|
Drinker |
Clean water daily |
Essential |
Feeder |
Measured feed, less waste |
Essential |
Layers pellets |
Shell quality, egg numbers |
Essential |
Grit |
Digestion for confined birds |
Essential |
Wood chips |
Dry, mud-free run |
Essential |
Health care pack |
Mite and ailment control |
Useful |
Spare drinker |
Backup while cleaning |
Optional |
Bedding |
Dry clean house/coop |
Essential |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a chicken keeping starter kit include?
A practical chicken keeping starter kit covers feed, bedding, drinkers, feeders and grit. Chartley Chucks offers a starter pack for beginners that bundles these basics, though it does not include coops, runs or the birds themselves. You choose the housing separately based on how many hens you want and how much garden space you have. Buy the consumables as a pack, then size the coop to your flock.
Do chicken starter kits include a coop and run?
Most do not, and that is deliberate. Coop choice depends on flock size and available space, so kits usually stop at feed, bedding and small equipment. Chartley Chucks sells the Nestera Medium Lodge for up to 5 medium birds at £465.00 and the Nestera Large Lodge for 7-8 medium birds at £525.00. Pick the coop first, then add the starter pack around it.
What bedding is suitable for a chicken coop?
Swish bedding is a finely chopped rape seed straw that is most economic and is easily composted. Softchip bedding is a fine wood based bedding, great for chicks and often the choice of many for large birds too. Chunky wood chips are suitable for runs. Chartley Chucks supplies Melcourt conifer chips in 60-litre bags at £10.35, made from UK-sourced virgin wood and FSC certified. Avoid fine sawdust, which is dusty. Deep litter needs regular turning, and a dry coop matters more than the bedding brand you choose.
Getting started can feel like a long shopping list, but it boils down to water, feed, grit, bedding and a safe coop. Chartley Chucks supplies starter kits, drinkers, feeders, grit, layers pellets and plastic coops, with UK-wide delivery and free collection on housing. Get started with Chartley Chucks and give your first flock a proper beginning.
