You have chosen to raise and care for baby chicks! This is an exciting time. I have raised chicks many times, and over the years, I’ve learned a lot about making the process easier and better for both myself and the chicks. I will share these insights with you in this blog post.

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Considerations Before You Bring Baby Chicks Home

Like any animal, you have to decide whether or not you’ll have the time or capacity for baby chicks. They’re a long-term commitment, and too often, I see people get chicks on a whim, and they’re not cared for as well as they could be, or they have to give them up. It’s essential to do your research and prepare ahead of time.

When it comes down to it, you never stop learning. You have to start somewhere and learn as you go. This form is a perfect place for beginners to ask questions or find old threads. I’ve had many times where I haven’t seen something before and found my answer in an old thread: Backyard Chickens

Preparing For Baby Chicks

Preparing the space where your chicks will be a few days ahead is always a good idea. This way, you can make sure you have all the supplies you need, ensure the heat sources work correctly and are at the right temperature, and guarantee a safe transition for the little fluff balls.

Essential Supplies:

• A brooder structure: The brooder is the safe space where your chicks will be homed for 6-8 weeks. It must be spacious and have the essentials to keep chicks happy and healthy. I use a dog kennel (pictured below), which I put a tarp in to keep the dog kennel clean. You could also use a bin or wooden box or buy a brooder setup from the store.
• A water dish: A shallow dish or the specific chick waterers from the store. I use a broken down cardboard box to put the waterer on to limit woodchips from getting in until I can set it on a bakers drying rack.
• A food dish: A shallow dish or chick feeder from the store will work.
• Heat source: Chicks need heat until they’re fully feathered. I use a heat plate and highly recommend it. You can also get a heat lamp.
• Chick feed: you can find this at a feed store
• Bedding: For the first couple of days, I monitor their stool with paper towels. After that, I use aspen bedding. (Do not use pine; it’s hard on chicks’ respiratory systems!)
  

Sourcing and Purchasing Chicks

It’s important to consider where you’ll be getting your chicks. You could go with a reputable local breeder or farm. There are also local feed mills or a Tractor Supply Co. The suppliers that get their chicks from big hatcheries are usually sexed and vaccinated, which is an excellent start if you don’t want any roosters. Ensure that you research the stores that supply the chicks and the hatcheries they get from. Check ahead to see if they also have the breeds you want in your flock.

Caring For Your Baby Chicks

Nourishment

Food
The food you’ll use for your baby chicks can be found where you get your chicks, at a feed mill or TSC. I use unmedicated; there’s no reason to use medicated chick feed unless you plan on brooding more than 50 chicks.

Water
It is important for baby chicks to always have a fresh supply of clean water. When my chicks first come home, I provide them with electrolyte water since they often have a long journey to where I decide to get them. Here’s a link for the recipe I use: here.

Treats
I don’t recommend giving chicks treats until they’re about 4 weeks old. When I make a post about which treats to give chicks/chickens, I’ll link it here.

Handling

When bringing baby chicks home (especially with kids) it can be hard not to handle them. They’re so cute! But I urge you to refrain from picking them up the first few days until they get their bearings. Instead, you can put your hands in the brooder to get them used to you and your little ones (pictured above). Since they love warmth I usually lightly cradle them in my hands, and they fall asleep. You can also feed them out of your hand too! After 3 or so days, you can pick them up. Ensure they’re a safe enough distance from the ground, so if an accident does happen they don’t get hurt!

Keeping The Chicks Warm

Heat Lamp
Heat lamps can be less expensive, but you’ll eventually need to replace bulbs. Using a heat lamp is more of a fire hazard since you need to find space above the chicks that can be anchored for different heights as the chicks age. I find heat lamps in a smaller brooder also don’t give the chicks much of an option to get away from the heat and cool down if need be, so if you do go with this option, you’ll need to consider that and get a bigger space for the chicks.

Heat Plate
I’ve done both a heat lamp and heat plate, but I much prefer a heat plate; it’s ultimately been the best for myself and my chicks. Using a heat plate, you’ll need to keep an eye on the height so the bottom of the plate doesn’t burn your fluffy baby’s back. When they stand up, the plate should reach their back. I’d also suggest getting a heat plate that allows you to have one side taller than the other – giving the chicks the choice of where they can go to be more comfortable.

Temperature
I compiled a downloadable PDF for the temperature you’ll need to adjust the heat lamp weekly. If you’ve decided on a heat plate, it’ll need to be adjusted every few days to accommodate their rapidly growing bodies. Still, you won’t need to keep an eye on the plate itself—ensure the room you decide to put them in is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit and free of drafts.

Health Considerations and Common Issues

Unfortunately, chicks are fickle little things and can easily stress. I’m going to touch on a couple of common issues associated with raising chicks. If you are currently dealing with a problem, don’t be afraid to look at the forum I included above or leave a comment on this post, and I’ll try to help as much as I can.

Pasty Butt
A pasty butt is when the chicks have feces sticking to the fluff around their vent. Now this is almost unavoidable when dealing with chicks because when chicks are stressed, it can lead to pasty butt. They have a long journey to get to you; even the car ride home can stress them out.

It’s crucial to get ahead of it and wash it off their bums as soon as you see it. Use a bowl with warm water to dip their bum into or hold them over running water in the sink. Soften the poo enough, so it falls off. Only get as wet as you have to and dry them off afterwards. Keep an eye on them over the next few days to see if it returns, if it does wash it off again.

Coughing/Sneezing
When chicks or chickens sneeze or cough, it’s usually a sign of a respiratory issue. You can try adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to their water or providing them with minced garlic to aid their lungs.

Losing A Chick
These things do happen, and it’s hard not to blame ourselves for it. There’s often one chick out of the mix that may not make it either due to them being too weak during the trip or, unfortunately, death marks them as soon as they hatch. These things do happen, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t make it. Just try to do all you can for the chicks upon arrival at your home.

Getting and raising your own flock is an exciting time! I hope you enjoy these feathery friends as much as I do! Feel free to leave a comment about experiences or questions.