How To: Raising Chicks & Chickens

We’ve sold out of chicks for the 2023 season, and they’re coming soon! Whether you’ve placed an order through us, or someone else, there’s lots to know when raising baby chicks! Get prepared to care for your new feathered friends; learn what supplies you’ll need, how to raise them, and so much more!

Backyard chickens is a fun hobby to have, but it doesn’t come without hard work! Despite adult chickens having relatively easy maintenance, they have a high mortality rate and many predators to look out for. But with proper supplies and care, your chickens can thrive for many years and produce the tastiest eggs for you and your family! So what do you need to start raising your own baby chicks?

Before Your Chicks Arrive

Make sure to set up your brooder (place they’ll be staying) 24-48 hours prior to their arrival. This allows for the habitat and things such as bedding and other equipment to come to temperature. Supplies you should consider purchasing beforehand are:

Brooder/Home:

The brooder is the first home for your baby chicks, and where they’ll spend the majority of their time until they can transition. Your brooder should be dry, warm, and draft-free with roughly 3-4 square feet per chick. Many people use things such as plastic tubs and old aquariums as brooder homes; but be sure the material isn’t susceptible to heat like metal.

Heat Lamp / Thermometer

Baby chicks need a regulated heat source, which is accomplished by using heat lamps and sometimes even heating pads. Heat lamps should be between 18-20 inches above the chicks in colder areas and 24-27 inches above in warmer areas. Make sure to have a space that isn’t being directing hit by your heat lamp, so the chicks have a “cool down” area if they get too hot.

At one week old, your chicks will need a temperature of 95 degrees and will decrease by 5 degrees every week (see table below). You’ll notice if your chicks are too hot if they’re always avoiding the direct heat source, or too cold if they’re often huddled together under the heat lamp. We offer thermometers and the entire heat lamp fixture, or just the bulbs, in store!

Bedding:

An absorbent wood shaving or pellet works great when it comes to lining the floor of your brooder! Material such as pine shavings, aspen shavings, and straw work well. Avoid using cedar shavings or other wood shavings with strong odors, as this can affect the health of your chickens. Be sure to replace the bedding often to keep it from getting wet and smelling, this is especially needed around the waterers. We offer bales of pine shavings, and in smaller quantities, plus a few other alternative beddings as well!

Feeders and Waterers:

You’ll want a feeder and waterer that is low enough for the baby chicks to get to, graduated feeders/waterers and trough-style work well! Offer roughly 4 inches of feeding space per chick, and 1 quart of water for every 25 chicks. If you’re getting a handful of chicks, a mason jar is a rough estimate of how much water you’ll need.

Be sure the water is ROOM TEMPERATURE and out of the direct heat source so it maintains temperature. Water is typically changed daily as chickens tend to get a bit messy!

Feed Options:

Feeding your chicks is quite simple, as they’re too young to require things like grit, oyster shell, and scratch. For the first 16 weeks, or 4 months, your chicks will be eating Start & Grow feed, which has all the necessary nutrients and protein they’ll be needing! Typically, the first 4-6 weeks people feed their chick Medicated Start & Grow, which aids in the protection against coccidiosis and overall helps boost their immunity. We offer both types of feed in bulk or in 50lb bags!

Once your chicks have grown into adults, you’ll have to switch them over to a higher protein layer feed. Options include regular pellets or crumbles, organic options, and more! You’ll also be able to start introducing treats such as meal worms and scratch, and grit for their newly developed gizzard. As your chickens begin to lay, you may notice that some of their shell are a bit soft; in that case, you’ll want to add more calcium to their diet by feeding things such as oyster shells.

Transitioning from Chick to Chicken

Now that you know the basic supplies when it comes to raising chicks, here’s how you’ll transition them once they’re adults! If you have an existing flock, be sure to introduce your new group once they’re similar in size. Chickens can be temperamental when it comes to new guys, so keeping an eye on their interactions would be wise!

You’ll want to have an outdoor run for your adult chickens and a coop or some form of shelter for the night time. A good rule of thumb is to have roughly 10 square feet of space per chicken and a coop with good ventilation, nesting boxes, and is predator proof. Chickens are easy prey for many animals, from hawks to foxes and more, you’ll want to have an enclosed area that protects them when you’re away. One of the leading causes of death for chickens is due to their predator, so make sure you keep them safe!

If you have any other questions, comments, or concerns when it comes to raising chickens, feel free to reach out to us directly or check out these sites for more information!