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."
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.
Step2
Sprinkle baby grit on feed after the third day. Sprinkle lightly, as if you were salting your food.
Step3
Dip each chick's beak into water before you place it in the cage. A 1-gallon chick waterer will water 50 birds.
Step4
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.
Step5
Place the light bulb about 18 inches above the floor.
Step6
Leave room in the cage for chicks to get away from heat if it gets too hot for them.
Step7
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.
Step8
Place cardboard or empty feed sacks around the outside of the cage for a while to keep cool air from blowing on chicks.
Step9
Place an inch of wood shavings, rice hulls or ground cobs on the bottom of the cage.
Step10
Provide six square inches (1/2 foot) of space for each bird.
Four Weeks and Older
Step1
Increase floor space to nine square inches (3/4 foot) of space per bird.
Step2
Add another waterer.
Step3
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.
Step4
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.
on 8/8/2006
You need to give them tiny pieces of food and very small pieces of pebbles. And as they get older, give them lettuce. They really like night crawlers and if they get sick take them to the veterinarian.
on 4/12/2008
sometimes stuff builds up on there feet you can hold a one chick at a time and soak there little feet till the stuff come off and then they are back on they way.luke warn water is all that is needed.
on 7/12/2006
We have found out that our five week old chicks love it when we hang a section of broccoli a little above their heads for them to peck at. We also offer them fresh corn on the cob. We broke the cob into several pieces for our dozen chicks.
on 3/30/2006
I read here that chicks like to play, so I took it a step further and attached a few pieces of curling ribbon for my chicks to peck at. They all love it! They seem to take turns pecking and pulling at the bright red ribbon.
on 11/22/2005
My chicks seem to prefer the taste of molasses over sugar as an additive to their water. I've also found live meal worms to be a tasty, fun and nutritious treat for chicks once they're about a week old. Be prepared, the latter creates quite a calamity!
Comments
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 You need to give them tiny pieces of food and very small pieces of pebbles. And as they get older, give them lettuce. They really like night crawlers and if they get sick take them to the veterinarian.
Anonymous said
on 4/12/2008 sometimes stuff builds up on there feet you can hold a one chick at a time and soak there little feet till the stuff come off and then they are back on they way.luke warn water is all that is needed.
Anonymous said
on 7/12/2006 We have found out that our five week old chicks love it when we hang a section of broccoli a little above their heads for them to peck at. We also offer them fresh corn on the cob. We broke the cob into several pieces for our dozen chicks.
Anonymous said
on 3/30/2006 I read here that chicks like to play, so I took it a step further and attached a few pieces of curling ribbon for my chicks to peck at. They all love it! They seem to take turns pecking and pulling at the bright red ribbon.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 My chicks seem to prefer the taste of molasses over sugar as an additive to their water. I've also found live meal worms to be a tasty, fun and nutritious treat for chicks once they're about a week old. Be prepared, the latter creates quite a calamity!