How to Raise Baby Chicks

Chicks need feed, water, heat, light and space to grow into healthy chickens. If you're purchasing your chicks, read "How to Purchase Chicks" or "How to Hatch Chicks."

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Chick Feeders
• Chicken Waterers
• Grit And Oyster Shell Feeder
• Ground Cobs
• Rice Hulls
• Untreated Wood Shavings
• 250-watt Light Bulbs
• Light Fixtures
• Thermometers
• Quik Chik Water Additive
• Baby Chick Grit

One Day to Four Weeks Old

1. To teach chicks about feed, put a piece of newspaper under feeder, sprinkle a commercial feed on paper and fill the feeder the first day you get your chicks.
2. Sprinkle baby grit on feed after the third day. Sprinkle lightly, as if you were salting your food.
3. Dip each chick's beak into water before you place it in the cage. A 1-gallon chick waterer will water 50 birds.
4. Provide a heat source (a light bulb) for chicks. Use one 250-watt bulb for 50 chicks in cold weather and one bulb for 100 chicks in warm weather.
5. Place the light bulb about 18 inches above the floor.
6. Leave room in the cage for chicks to get away from heat if it gets too hot for them.
7. Maintain a temperature of 90 to 95 degrees F the first week; reduce by several degrees each week until you get to 70 degrees F.
8. Place cardboard or empty feed sacks around the outside of the cage for a while to keep cool air from blowing on chicks.
9. Place an inch of wood shavings, rice hulls or ground cobs on the bottom of the cage.
10. Provide six square inches (1/2 foot) of space for each bird.

Four Weeks and Older

11. Increase floor space to nine square inches (3/4 foot) of space per bird.
12. Add another waterer.
13. Use a grit feeder to feed free-choice grit. You may need to go to the next size of grit - check with your feed store or pet store.
14. Allow chickens to go out into a fenced pen on warm, sunny days.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an additive in the water to ensure a healthy start for your chicks.
• Watch for sick birds, and treat them or remove them from the flock.
• Do not use cedar chips, sawdust or treated wood chips for bedding.
• Never let chicks run out of water.