Raising Healthy Baby Chicks 101

At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we love teaching people how to take care of baby chicks. In order to be prepared for your new baby chicks, we have provided the below list of the basics you will need to raise healthy and happy chicks.

Start raising baby chicks with the help of Blain’s Farm & Fleet.

Receiving your very first brood of baby chicks is definitely an exciting experience; however, it can also be a bit daunting. Baby chicks are definitely a handful; they are quite fragile and need a lot of care and attention, so it’s extremely important to have everything in place before your baby chicks arrive. Whether you’re first time chicken owner, raising backyard chickens, or just need a refresher, we’ve got you covered!

At Blain’s Farm & Fleet, we love teaching people how to take care of baby chicks.

In order to be prepared for your new baby chicks, we have provided the below list of the basics you will need to raise healthy and happy chicks.

Time Commitment for Baby Chicks

The first thing you need to plan on providing for your baby chicks is a lot of your time and attention.

Don’t plan on going on vacation or even being gone a full day when caring for chicks.

Their feeding, watering, health and environment need to be attended to several times each day.

The Brooder

A brooder is a baby chick house, which can be made out of a variety of objects such as a card board box, a baby pool, or even a livestock water trough.

Make sure your brooder has proper ventilation and provides at least 2 square feet per chick. It’s important to it out of drafts and moisture as chicks can easily get chilled and become sick.

Brooders should either have netting on the top or have walls which are at least 2 feet tall. This will help keep predators out, and the chicks in. You’d be surprised by how well baby chicks can fly!

A Heat Source for Your Baby Chicks

For the first week of their lives, baby chicks need to be kept in a 95 degree environment.

Every subsequent week, they should have their heating turned down 5 degrees until they are ready to go to the outside coop. Most baby chick raisers use a 250-watt infrared heat lamp as their heating source.

There are new ceramic heat lamps hitting the market that are resistant to overheating and can last years longer than a traditional heat lamp. They also reduce energy usage and are more durable, so you can reduce the impact on the environment and on your wallet.

Red heat lights are preferred to white lights as the white lights are too bright and make it difficult for the chicks to sleep. Do not use just a standard light bulb, because they do not produce enough heat.

Be sure to place your heat lamp about a foot above the brooder floor so that the chicks can walk in and out of the direct heat.

Bedding for Your Baby Chicks

Baby chicks need absorbent bedding that is changed frequently.

We suggest using about 1 inch of pine shavings.

Do not use newspaper or cedar chips! Newspapers are too slippery, causing the chicks to develop a leg deformity called “splayed leg”, and cedar chips contain aromatic oils, which will irritate your chicks’ lungs.

Clean the bedding daily.

Watering and Feeding Your Baby Chicks

Food and water are key to raising healthy baby chicks. You’ll need to pay careful attention to this.

You might be tempted to use just any bowl to feed and water your baby chicks, but this is not recommended. Feeders that are not made especially for baby chicks can cause injuries or even death.

First, scatter the feed on the brooder floor so chicks can find it, and then you can start using a chick feeder. Feeding your chicks is actually quite easy as there is specially made baby chick food that will fulfill all of their dietary needs. Be sure to follow the directions on the bag.

For the first ten weeks, each chick will eat about one pound of food per week. Plus, you can always work with your veterinarian to come up with a complete nutrition plan if you have any concerns.

Fresh, clean water should always be available. Help your chicks find the water by dipping their beaks into water and before introducing feed, let them drink for 4-5 hours to ensure they are properly hydrated and won’t choke on the feed. Elevating the waterer a couple inches off the brooder floor will help it stay clean and keep bedding from falling into it and contaminating the water.

When done right, raising baby chicks is a rewarding experience that culminates in having wonderful pet chickens that are happy, healthy, and have bonded to you and vice versa.

With “Farm” in our name, you know you can trust us to help you raise a happy and healthy flock. Once they’re grown, we’ll be your go-to feed store for chicken feed, chick grit, nesting boxes, and chicken coops.

Of course, always work with your local veterinarian to provide your baby chicks with optimal care.

For more tips on caring for your flock, check out our other Chickens & Poultry articles.