Bringing home baby chicks is such an exciting time! They’re so fluffy, tiny and oh so cute! If you have kids, they’ll no doubt be so excited they can hardly stand it, but as the momma, you might be a little nervous about this new venture. Let me reassure you…don’t be nervous!
Chickens are so much fun!
During the baby/child phase, or until they’re about 6 weeks old, you do have to pay pretty close attention to your baby chicks and make sure they’re happy and healthy. After that, they’re considered adults and can pretty well tend to themselves if they have a steady supply of clean water and food!
Here are a few things to pay attention to:
1. Handling:
During the first 24-48 hours, you’ll be so excited and will want to hold and handle your little babies all the time…but don’t.
Give them a little time to settle in and calm down after being transported to and from the store and home. Once this first couple of days is over, right the opposite is true.
Hold them all the time!
The more they’re handled, the more they’ll grow to love and trust you, which means they’ll be much easier to handle when you need to put them in their coop, vet them, or any other reason for handling.
2. Bedding:
The first couple of days, I use paper towel or newspaper. This prevents you handling your chicks unnecessarily and stressing them out! I will check on them every few hours a put a layer of paper down over any areas that have been soiled.
After the first couple of days, once we have started handling our babies, I will pull them out of the brooder and clean it well. I will put the soiled newspaper into my compost pile, wipe out the bottom of the brooder, and fill with pine shavings.
We have also used straw, and that works really well, but the pine shavings are much easier to scoop and clean, they break down easily in my compost, and I can get them cheaper. At our local feed store, I spend about $5 on a bag that lasts anywhere from 6-7 months!
I usually will scoop out any really dirty spots I see throughout the week and put into my compost, and I will clean it all the way out and replace shavings weekly.
3. Feeding:
What you feed your chicks is totally up to you, but I prefer to stay as natural as we can.
The first week, I only feed them unmedicated starter/grower feed.
Check your local feed store for what is available in your area. Purina has worked well for us and is available in most areas!
This first week will let you know if everyone is healthy and eating well, and if so, I start giving them treats like diced boiled eggs or vegetable scraps. The boiled eggs are also good to help perk them up if they are sickly in the beginning.
I also like to add electrolytes to their water for the first 6 weeks. There are special supplements you can buy, but I use products that we would eat. In a pinch, you can dilute some Gatorade or Powerade in their water, but ideally, you’ll want a healthier electrolyte source. I mixed my own and it was super easy!
Electrolyte mix:
- 1 c hot water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
Mix to dissolve and let cool. Add 1 tsp of liquid mixture per gallon of water.
If you have a baby chick that is acting lethargic or sleepier than the others, sometimes an electrolyte boost will help! I’ve even had to administer with a baby syringe and it worked wonders!
Once they’re a few weeks old, I like to give them a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. They eat far less commercial feeder, plus I feel like natural food is better! They also love to eat bugs and worms they find in our yard. We let ours roam free as much as we can and then lock them in their chicken tractor at night.
4. Overall Health:
Some baby chicks are easier than others, just like human babies!
I’ve had a baby die within the first 24 hours of being home, even after electrolytes and tender care. Sometimes it just can’t be prevented.
I’ve had other babies that never needed a single thing from me besides food and water…and I’ve had all the ones in between too!
The best way to make sure your babies are off to a good start is to visually check them over 3-4 times a day, or more, if time allows.
Check them to make sure they’re not pecking each other or harming each other.
Make sure they’re not sleeping more than the others or acting lethargic.
Check their butts! A pasty butt is what happens when soft baby poop sticks on the feathers and stops up their vent. This can be VERY dangerous for a chick. Imagine if you couldn’t poop!
Sometimes a simple, gentle wipe with a warm cloth will be enough to clean them up and get them pooping again, but sometimes they get pretty irritated. I’ve found that over the counter hemorrhoid cream will work wonders!
Just keep an eye on your babies if they get pasty butt because they could die if it’s not corrected.
5. Brooder:
Your baby chicks need a safe and very warm environment to live in.
Many places will try to sell you expensive brooding boxes and accessories, but really it’s not necessary.
Use what you have on hand!
My husband cut a few 2×4’s to create a barrier around the wall of a dog crate. We bought some new heat lamp bulbs for a clamp light we had on hand, hung a thermometer, and we were good to go!
Keep your chicks warm and they’ll be happy! Here is a little list of age appropriate temperatures so you can keep an eye on your babies, but their behavior will tell you a lot. If they’re huddling together under the lamp, they’re not warm enough. If they’re staying to the outer edges of the brooder and away from the lamp, they may be too hot! You can raise and lower your lamp to adjust the temperature for them.
Minimum temperature for baby chicks:
- Week 1 – 90
- Week 2 – 85
- Week 3 – 80
- Week 4 – 75
- Week 5 – 60
- Week 6 and beyond – they should have adult feathers and be able to regulate their own body temperature
Our babies are now 20 weeks old and I gathered our first two eggs this morning! They are like members of our family and they each have their own little personalities. I’m so glad we have them!
Do you have any tips to share about raising baby chicks? Do you have questions or suggestions about more information I can share with you? Let me know!
