The basics?

Apologies if this question/topic has been covered before, I'm sure it has, but I've read so many hints and tips I have just ended up more confused, so if anyone can give me some straight-forward guidance I would be very grateful. 
Trying to get it clear in my mind before the hens arrive, hopefully ex-batts.
The coop is going to be constructed (this weekend) of exterior ply with the joints caulked, then painted with old-fashioned creosote (I wont use silicone so the caulk can absorb the creosote).
If I've got it right, for the general health of the hens, I add rough cider vinegar to the water, and possibly some garlic. I need red mite powder to sprinkle around the coop, smear vaseline/petroleum jelly on the perches and ends. Use a red mite barrier powder on the hens themselves. Spray the coop monthly, or fortnightly in hot weather with Poultry Shield. Should I also sprinkle lime around the approach to the coop?
Vaseline on the legs for scaley leg – just when it appears or as a daily/weekly routine?
What do I use for worming the hens. What other bits and pieces do I need to stock for the hens welfare Spot-on etc?
All advice appreciated.

HHHmmm......... I really do suggest that you get a good starter guide such as Katie Thear's Starting With Chickens,  and follow her advice because you won't go far wrong  I don't know who's been advising you but there's a lot here you don't need to start with and you need to get better advice on.

Creosote -  Shouldn't use this anywhere the birds might go so I'd only consider using this in the joints if at all.  It does stop red mite but is not nice to use and can burn the chx.  You'd need to leave it several weeks to soak in before you introduce birds. Chaulking the joints might be an idea to seal the joints but if you are using sheet material there shouldn't be many places for red mite?  Obviously someones been filling you with Red Mite horror stories.

Red Mite powder - if you start off on the right foot with a good hygene regime you won't get red mite in a new house at least for a while.  Poultry shield is a good idea but sprinkle Diatom Powder the Barrier stuff is just a repellant for use on chx only and is really just a fly repellent and is expensive and I've found not effective on Red Mite. Vasoline on the perches is very messy and not needed.  If you want to really make life hard for red mite you can paint the perches with a slurry of diatom (add powder to water not the reverse),  Some people put vasoline on perches if they have leg mite to stop it's spread but see below.


Garlic and Apple cider Vinegar, poultry spice or any other suppliment you won't need unless there's a particular problem you want to treat they'll get all the nutrients from a good compound layers feed in pellets.  You need to allow a period to assess them before you even consider prescribing potions and suppliments.  Don't give them medication of any sort "just in case".  Giving uneccessary treatments when they don't need it is as bad as not giving any when they do need it.  Use mixed grit and oyster shell provided seperately from their food  (I have to say this in case Aunties listening).  If they need it they'll eat it so don't force feed them it in their food.  Too much calcium is as bad as not enough.  You can give them fresh veg, cooked veg and potatoes  bread but be sparing, other titbits and kitchen scraps such as pasta , cooked rice, in moderation and definitely not more that 10% of their total diet.  a handful of poultry corn each night is ok but again make it part of the 10% treats.

Scaley leg mite treatment you don't need that unless they've got this nasty mite. There's far more effective treatments than vasoline.  Many people go through their poultry keeping careers without ever seeing this so it's not a priority unless you've got it.

For litter use softwood dust extracted shavings from a feed  merchant or equine supplier, not chip, not bark or hardwood.  You can use chopped straw (not hay) in the nest boxes or shavings or a mixture.  Shrinkle with diatom.

Sprinkling lime! definitely don't do this in a run containing chx.  If you need to disinfect the ground use Jeyes fluid a weak mix or a proprietry disinfectant but that's not needed right away or I'd say for around 3 months.

Pot eggs to show them where to lay? not needed.  They'll know where to lay if you've designed the house right so the nest boxes are dark and quiet.  Pot eggs are generally only used to induce broodies to sit.  Leaving pot eggs in boxes is likely to to induce them to go brood though hybrids are generally easy to induce

That's just for starters and there's much more you need to know regarding runs feeders water where to site them, Fox proofing so read Katie Thear if you can and don't confuse yourself with masses of conflicting advice even mine if you don't like it ignore it . Once you got the basics and you reckon you can tell the good advice from the old wives tales use this chat site as there's lots of good advice and knowledgible people but also you need to be a bit selective or else you'll have a shopping list as long as your arm with everyones patent potion on it.

It's a great hobby and very rewarding and not rocket science and you don't need lots of suppliments and medications to treat conditions they probably won't have anyway.
Regards

Thanks both, I do have Katie Thear's book Starting with Chickens, but reading the forums apparently it isn't as easy as it seems. When I was a youngster we had chickens, bantams and pigeons and can't recall having any major problems with poultry health, nor giving them anything but household scraps and corn, hygeine was certainly not a high priority then.
  I found creosote (the old stuff) made me ill, but there seem to be lot of people recommending it as a deterent for red mite by painting the coop. 

My original idea was to construct the coop from pressure treated timber - featheredged board, but then read that the less cracks and crevises the better so thoughts turned to sheet material (ply). The run will be of fine welded mesh and totally enclose the coop, so fox and rodent problems will be reduced.
Perhaps it's best just to plunge in and use common sense - I will be able to get advice from another backgarden hen keeper in the next few weeks who lives a some miles away.
Just seen the reply from Aunt Sally - very interesting comment and of course an honour to receive a reply from someone so high up the pecking order!
Will let you all know how things go.
 

That's the approach!  Good husbandry, feed and a simple regular hygene regime, keeping the house clean will prevent most of the problems and keep your chickens happy and healthy.

Just a thought if you haven't built the house yet. 

Make perches removable for easy cleaning and arrange them so the droppings fall through onto absorbant litter.  Don't allow the chickens access to under the perches for obvious reasons. You can use dropping boards but remember soiled dropping boards can be unweildy, are heavy to lift out and the sliding types can scrape off the accumulated droppings when you remove them and spill in the house.  I think its better to just have a completely flat floor with removable sides so you can just sweep the soiled litter out onto a trough and tip into a barrow.  The trough can also serves as a floor channel.  See  Forsham Cottage Arks website and look at their Lenham design it's brilliantly thought out by people who obviously know their chicken keeping. 

Ship lap (15mm prefered) is fine for roofs though it can harbour mite.  Bitumised corregated roof board (try to get ONDULINE) makes a good easy to use alternative which won't encourage mite but try to design it so it's not drafty,  See the Domestic Fowl Trust houses as an example.  Don't use roof felt which is a haven for mite and you see on so many "petshop" houses.  Use the best materials you can afford such as rust proof screws if possible not nails and heavy guage wood (but watch the weight if you need to move it).  Design it so you can strip it down for cleaning and moving.

Use tanalised wood where possible not creosote as Auntie says or a good (Cuprinol does lots of decorative colours) animal safe timber treatment not an oil based paint which can peel and is high maintenance.

Happy keeping