Day 1 of Raising Baby Chickens
Raising baby chicks isn’t as hard as you might think, they mainly need 4 things:
Clean, dry environment
Heat
Water
Food
Preparation:
Clean, dry environment
On average one baby chick needs around 1/2 a square foot of space, therefore multiply that by however many birds you are getting and that will be the amount of space you need to create. A large bin typically works best but there are many different setups you can use, but whatever you go with make sure its at least 12 inches deep. The area your chicks are in is called a brooder. To create the clean, dry environment we have found wood shavings work best, they seem to soak up the moisture and stick to the manure making cleaning much easier. Here is an affiliate link for shavings on amazon https://a.co/d/1PLer7l, Link for bin, https://amzn.to/3UMRW7i.
Heat
In the first week of their lives chicks need to have a maintained air temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. To create that warm environment you will need to use a heat lamp for poultry. This particular lamp uses a special bulb designed for creating heat. Link for heat lamp, https://a.co/d/cjmF3xn , Link for bulb, https://amzn.to/4bYrlLB
Water
Clean, accessible water is vital for making sure your chicks are hydrated in their hot environment. Adding electrolytes to their water as well is very beneficial to their overall health. Do NOT put an open dish of water in their pen, they will unfortunately drown themselves. Instead there are waterers specifically designed for chicks so that outcome is avoided. Link for Chick Waterers, https://amzn.to/4dGPh7M
Food
Depending on if you’d prefer to raise you chicks organically or naturally there are many different options for feed. However whichever one you choose your chicks will need the starter feed. This feed has a higher protein for them when they’re just starting out, after their feathers start coming in then you can switch to the regular feed for adult birds. Link for starter feed, https://amzn.to/3K5DMJu , Link for feeder, https://amzn.to/3WIOQ6G .
Now that you have everything prepared it’s time to put your baby chicks in their new home! When you place them in their brooder gently dip their beak in the water so they know where to find it. Then, step back and enjoy watching them chirp and grow!
