Everything You Need to Start Keeping Chickens: A Complete Beginner's Kit Guide

If you are wondering what you need to start keeping chickens, the honest answer is a coop, a run, feeders, drinkers, bedding, feed and the hens themselves. A good coop, a secure run, clean water and the right feed will cover 95% of what your hens need, and the rest you will work out as you go.

What Should You Look for in a First Chicken Coop?

The coop is where your hens sleep, shelter from the weather and lay their eggs. It needs to be secure against foxes, well ventilated and practical enough to clean without making it a chore.

The most common mistake new keepers make is buying a coop that is too small. Most keepers we speak to wish they had gone one size up on their first coop, because the flock almost always grows. You start with three hens and end up with six. Going one size up at the beginning costs less than buying a second coop eighteen months later.

For a beginner flock of four to six hens, the CC054 is a practical starting point. It is a flat-pack wooden hen house made from heat-treated pine, in stock for fast delivery and straightforward to assemble in two to four hours. If you are thinking of six hens or more, or you want room to grow, the CC058 is the better choice. At 270cm x 180cm total footprint, it comfortably suits six to twelve hens and is the most popular coop in the standard range for good reason.

What to look for in any coop:

• Size. Use the stated capacity as a guide, but go one size up. The figures are based on minimum space, not comfortable space.
• Ventilation. Hens produce a lot of moisture overnight. Good airflow keeps the coop dry and reduces respiratory problems. Vents near the roofline, away from drafts at perch level, are what you want.
• Cleaning access. A coop you cannot clean properly will cause problems quickly. Look for a removable dropping tray, a wide cleaning door and easy access to the nest boxes.
• Construction quality. Check the thickness of the cladding, the quality of the joins and whether the roof is watertight. Treated wood extends the life of the coop, but annual re-treatment is still good practice.

What Do You Need in a Chicken Run?

Your run is the outdoor space where your hens spend their days. It needs to be large enough that they are not cramped, and secure enough that foxes cannot get in.

Allow at least one square metre of run space per hen. For a flock of four, that is a four-square-metre run at minimum. If your hens will be in the run for most of the day, err on the larger side. Overcrowding leads to boredom, feather pecking and ground that deteriorates quickly.

Whether your run is attached directly to the coop or freestanding depends on your garden and how you plan to manage the flock. An attached run is simpler for beginners and keeps everything in one place. A separate, larger run gives you more flexibility and is easier to extend later.

The most important thing about any run is the wire. Standard hexagonal chicken wire, the light diamond-pattern mesh you see in garden centres, is not adequate for fox protection. Foxes can bite through it and pull it apart at the joins. Welded mesh with an aperture of 25mm or less and a gauge of at least 19g is what you need. Make sure the run also has an access door large enough for you to get in comfortably, so you can reach the feeder and drinker, clean the ground and occasionally catch a hen.

What Feeders and Drinkers Do You Need to Start?

You need one feeder and one drinker before your hens arrive. That is it for now.

For a beginner, a gravity feeder is the right starting point. Feed flows down into the trough as hens eat, there are no moving parts to maintain and it holds enough for a day or two without constant refilling. When you are more comfortable with your routine, a treadle feeder is worth considering. A treadle feeder requires hens to stand on a platform to open the lid, which keeps wild birds and vermin out of the feed. It takes a week or two for hens to get used to, but most keepers find it well worth the adjustment.

For drinking water, a gravity drinker works well from day one. It keeps water clean, holds a reasonable volume and is easy to rinse and refill. Avoid open dishes or improvised containers, as they attract wild birds, get contaminated with droppings quickly and are difficult to keep at a consistent level. You can find feeders and drinkers suited to a small starting flock in our Chicken Feeders and Drinkers collection.

The habit to build early: check feeders and drinkers every day. Refill as needed, rinse the drinker every few days and scrub it thoroughly once a week.

What Bedding Do Chickens Need?

The floor of the coop and the nest boxes both need bedding. It absorbs droppings, keeps hens comfortable and makes cleaning easier.

Dust-extracted wood shavings are the most widely used bedding for chicken keeping and a good choice for beginners. They are absorbent, widely available, inexpensive and break down well in a compost heap. Start with a layer around 10cm deep on the coop floor and a lighter layer in the nest boxes. Top up as it compresses down between full clean-outs.

Hemp bedding is a good alternative worth knowing about. It is more absorbent than wood shavings and lasts longer between full changes. It breaks down faster in compost and many keepers find it stays fresher for longer. The initial cost is slightly higher, but the frequency of changes tends to even things out over time.

Avoid straw on the coop floor. It does not absorb moisture well and mats down quickly. It can be used in small amounts in the nest boxes, but shavings or hemp are a better choice for the main floor area.

What to Feed Your Chickens from Day One

Get the feed right from the start and you will avoid most of the common problems beginners face.

For point-of-lay hens, the staple feed is layers pellets. They are nutritionally complete, formulated specifically for laying hens and straightforward to manage in a gravity feeder. Layers pellets provide the protein, calcium and vitamins your hens need to produce eggs consistently. You can find a range of options in our Poultry Feed and Treats collection.

From day one, put out insoluble grit and oyster shell in separate small containers alongside the feed. Insoluble grit, the flint type, helps hens grind down their food in the gizzard. Without it, hens cannot digest food properly. Oyster shell provides the calcium they need for strong eggshells. Both are cheap, both are essential and both are easy to overlook. Keep them available at all times.

Mixed corn, often sold in bags alongside layers pellets, is a treat rather than a staple. It is low in protein compared to pellets and should not replace them. Scatter a small handful as an afternoon treat or use it to encourage your hens into the coop at dusk. For a full breakdown of chicken feed and what to give when, read our guide on what to feed chickens.

What Equipment Can Wait Until Later?

There is a tendency, especially when buying online, to add things to the basket that you do not actually need at the start.

An automatic pop hole door opener. Useful once you have your routine established and want more flexibility in the mornings, but not essential. Manual pop holes work perfectly well. Get your flock settled first.

A specialist health kit. You do not need a cabinet full of mite treatments, worming products and supplements before your hens arrive. Buy layers pellets, grit and oyster shell, and add health products if a specific need arises.

Multiple feeders and drinkers. One of each is enough to start. Beginners often over-buy equipment and end up with things that sit unused.

A second coop. Some people buy a spare just in case. You do not need one until you actually need one.

Keeping it simple for the first few months lets you focus on learning your hens' normal behaviour, which is the most useful thing you can do when you are starting out.

What to Prepare Before Your First Hens Arrive

Work through this checklist before collection or delivery day:

• Assemble the coop fully and check that all doors, latches and vents work properly
• Set up the run and check that all joins and latches are secure. Walk the perimeter and look for gaps at ground level
• Fill the feeder with layers pellets
• Fill the drinker with fresh water and place it in the run
• Add 10cm of bedding to the coop floor and a lighter layer in the nest boxes
• Put out insoluble grit and oyster shell in separate small containers
• Decide on breed and source. Order point-of-lay hens from a reputable breeder or local poultry farm
• Check whether a cockerel is permitted where you live. Hens are allowed without a licence in most UK residential settings, but cockerels are often restricted by local planning conditions or tenancy agreements. Read our UK chicken keeping laws guide for the details

For a broader checklist of equipment you will use day to day once your flock is settled, our essential equipment guide is worth a read.

What Is Included in a Chicken Starter Package?

If you would rather order the key components in one go, our starter packages bring a coop, a run and core accessories together in a single order. For a first-time keeper, the advantage is straightforward: no hunting across multiple pages to check compatibility, no waiting for separate deliveries. Everything arrives together and you can get set up in one go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need before my chickens arrive?

You need a coop, a run, a feeder filled with layers pellets, a gravity drinker filled with fresh water, bedding on the coop floor and in the nest boxes, and separate containers for insoluble grit and oyster shell. Have everything ready the day before your hens arrive so they can go straight in without disruption.

How much does it cost to start keeping chickens in the UK?

The main cost is the coop and run, which varies depending on size and quality. A standard wooden hen house for four to six hens starts at around £200-£350. A run, feeder, drinker, bedding and initial feed will add roughly £50-£100 on top of that. Point-of-lay hens typically cost £20-£30 each from a reputable breeder. A realistic total for a beginner setup with four hens is £400-£600, excluding ongoing feed costs.

How many hens should I start with?

Three is a common starting point. Hens are social animals and should not be kept alone, so two is the absolute minimum. Three gives a buffer if one hen is unwell and keeps the flock stable. Most beginners find three to four hens manageable and producing more eggs than they expected.

What is the best breed for a beginner?

A hybrid like an ISA Brown or a Goldline is forgiving, lays well and handles the UK climate well. They are where most beginners start, for good reason. Hybrid hens have been bred for consistent laying and a calm temperament, which makes the first few months easier while you find your feet. Once you are comfortable with the basics, there are dozens of pure breeds to explore if you want to.

When you are ready to take the next step, browse our starter packages. Each one is put together to take the guesswork out of your first order, with a coop, a run and the core accessories you will actually use from day one.