Everything You Need To Raise Your Own Chicks

Raising chicks is fun and pretty easy, here are a few essentials you need and daily tasks to do along with a few extra tips and tricks to make your chick raising experience better!

Brooder

🐾 This is where your chicks will stay for the first 4-6 weeks of their lives, maybe longer if the weather is a bit colder in your area.

🐾 Your brooder should be set up and ready to go before bringing your new chicks home

🐾 Brooders must be kept dry, warm and clean at all times

🐾 The most important thing you need is a brooder for your chicks, this can be anything from a tote, small animal cage or you can build/buy a brooder to fit all of your needs.

🐾 I found ours on Facebook marketplace, it’s actually a tortoise enclosure but it works perfect for our chicks. For the first few days I cover the wire top halfway with a blanket and place a box on the fully covered side so chicks cannot wander to the other side and stuck away from their heat, food and water.

Bedding

🐾 Chicks need something soft to be on and it will make clean up much easier for you

🐾 Change the bedding daily to keep the brooder clean and dry

🐾 Bedding options

🐾 Puppy training pads; My favorite! There is no dust or extra mess outside of the brooder to clean up and they are very absorbent. Training pads are also very easy to fold up and throw away

🐾 Paper towels

🐾 Shavings; I’m not a fan of using shavings until the chicks get older, so they don’t ingest the shavings. Using shavings inside can become very dusty as well.

Food and Water

🐾 Chicks need access to food and water at all times and it must be close to the chicks.

🐾 You can get food and water containers from your local feed store, use a shallow dish you have at home

🐾 Types of Waterers

🐾 Gravity type; you fill the container with water, screw on the top and flip it over, if using this type I recommend using rocks or marbles along the bottom to prevent chicks from getting stuck in the water and drowning

🐾 Drip/Nipple type; hangs on the side of the brooder so the chicks reach up to get a drink. This prevents chicks from getting into the water but it does require a little more time and training for the chicks to figure out how to use it. Chicks might not drink as much with this type of waterer though.

🐾 Feed; Purchase a quality non-medicated feed meant for your chicks. There are different types of starter feed available for chickens, ducks and game birds that will have all the nutrients for your growing chicks. Exciting update and savings for you coming soon! Message us on Facebook and ask about our newest partnership!

🐾 When adding your chicks to the brooder be sure to show each one where the food and water is, if one chick figures it out they are all pretty quick to follow.

🐾 Water Temperature; Chicks must always be given room temp water as they cannot withstand cold water

🐾 Water Additives; It is always a good idea to add probiotics and electrolytes to your chicks water, this can help them recover from a long journey, stress of being moved, and give them an extra boost.

Heat Source

🐾 Chicks need a heat source as their feathers develop, chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature for the first few days of their lives.

🐾 The temp of your brooder should start at 95 degrees and be decreased by 5 degrees each day. Having a thermometer in your brooder can help you keep an eye on this. You can also watch your chicks, if your chicks seem to be huddled together close to the heat source then they are likely too cold, if you notice they are all spread out and far away from the heat source they are too hot. If your chicks are chirping loudly and sound distressed there is normally a reason for it so keep your eyes and ears open.

🐾 Heat Source Options

🐾 Brooder Plate; This is what we use, it is adjustable and comes with different types of legs so the plate can also be positioned upright instead of laying flat across.

🐾 Heat Lamp; While these are pretty controversial they can be a great heat source for your chicks IF they are secured properly. Red light lamps are most often seen but you can also use a white light, make sure you keep an extra bulb or two on hand in case one blows.

Handle Your Chicks Daily

🐾 While it’s always fun to play with baby chicks you should handle each one daily, not only to help them get used to you resulting in friendlier chickens when they get older but you are more likely to notice any health concerns starting with your chick.

🐾 Check your chicks eyes, beak, neck, wings, legs, feet and bottom for anything that may look off.

Brooder Extras

🐾 Extra things you can add to your brooder as your chicks grow to improve health and entertainment.

🐾 Apple Cider Vinegar; You can add apple cider vinegar to your chicks water can boost their immune, respiratory and digestive system.

🐾 Oats; Can help resolve and prevent “pasty butt,” this is why you should always check your chicks over, pasty butt can result in death if not treated promptly.

🐾 Garlic; Boosts immune and respiratory system.

🐾 Egg Yolk; Offering your chicks a little bit of egg yolk once can help give them an extra health boost, this is also used on newly hatched chicks that have just had a rough hatch.

🐾 Grit; Adding grit to your brooder can help you chicks digest their food easier. If you are feeding a starter crumble this is not necessary, but if you are adding any other types of food (fruits and veggies, grass).

🐾 Dust Bath; What chicken doesn’t love a good dust bath!

🐾 Small Mirror; Chickens of all ages love to play with their reflection and can keep them entertained.

🐾 Adding the Outside World; Add a few clumps of grass, dirt or some sticks for your chicks to play in and to start introducing them to the outside world that they will soon get to explore.

Enjoy your new chicks, they are so much fun to raise and watch grow! You can find most of these items in our "Chicken Must Haves" on our Amazon Storefront.