How to Care for Day Old Chicks
Are you wondering how to care for day-old chicks? I’ve had a lot of practice over the years and in the process, I’ve learned a lot about proper chick care!
If you are hatching eggs in an incubator or ordering day old chicks through the mail, the following instructions will help you care for your chicks.
Been there, done that? This post will help refresh your memory. Although this is geared toward chicks, the instructions are basically the same for day-old turkeys, ducks, and geese.
Read also: system of poultry rearing
Basic Care for Day Old Chicks:
Learn More- Keep brooder temps at 95 F for the first week, decrease by 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered.
- Make sure there is room for chicks to get out of the heat.
- Provide probiotics in their drinking water to establish healthy digestive systems
- Keep food and shallow water containers clean and filled.
- Make sure there are no drafts or sunny spots to cause temperature changes in the brooder area.
- Make sure rodents, pets, or well-meaning children can’t hurt chicks.
Get Ready For Day Old Chicks
- Before your chicks hatch or arrive at the post office, be sure to have their brooder area set up and tested for a couple of days.
- You don’t want to find out that your only heat lamp isn’t working when you get home with your babies.
- Water should be at room temperature so it won’t chill the chicks.
The new peeps are nice and warm in their Redneck Brooder Box.
- Keep Your Day Old Chicks Warm
- If you are using a heat lamp, turn it on two or three days in advance so you can adjust the height to provide the proper temperature.
I have used a heat lamp and an Eco Glow brooder, and both worked well. I’ve also created my own my Redneck Brooder System. It is safer than a heat lamp (less chance of causing a fire) and uses less energy.
My homemade brooder is similar to the Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder for Chicks or Ducklings which mimics the warmth of a mother hen.
For more information on how to use a heat lamp or find an alternative, read How to Safely Heat Your Chick Brooder.
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If my chicks are going straight to the barn when the temps are low, I use seedling heat mats and a heat lamp. The heat lamp warms up their room and the heat mats gives them a warm comfy place to nap.
Make sure there are no drafts in their brooding area.
If you only have a few peeps coming, consider keeping them in the house for a week or so to keep a close eye on them.
The Best Temperature for Baby Chicks
For the first week of their lives, chicks should be kept in a brooding area that is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with space to get out of the heat if they get too warm.
Week 1: 95 degrees Fahrenheit
Week 2: 90 degrees Fahrenheit
Week 3: 85 degrees Fahrenheit
Week 4: 80 degrees Fahrenheit
Week 5: 75 degrees Fahrenheit
Week 6: 70 degrees Fahrenheit
Each week you will need to reduce the temperature of the brooder 5 degrees F until the youngsters are feathered out.
If you notice the chicks piling on top of each other under the heat lamp, they are too cold. Lower the lamp, use a warmer bulb (an incandescent bulb may not be enough) or add another heat lamp to the brooder.
If the chicks are as far from the heat lamp as possible and they are panting, the temperature is too warm for them. Raise the heat lamp or switch to a lower watt bulb.
Be sure the peeps have room to move around and find the best temperature for themselves.
Keep a digital thermometer under the heat lamp and check it several times a day. Be careful not to adjust the heat lamp and then get busy with something else. It doesn’t take long for extreme temperatures to kill baby poultry.
Read also: Major factors involved in Poultry management
Food and Water
Make sure your chicks have clean drinking water in a container that they can’t fall in and drown.
Dip their beaks in the water when you first unpack them from the shipping box to teach them how to drink. Normally the mother hen would teach them this, but you’ll need to fill in. Be careful to dip just the tip of their beak into the water.
If you hatched your chicks in an incubator, you may wait until the day after they hatch to teach them to drink. They may learn on their own!
For the first day, give them water with probiotics only.
Too much sugar or electrolytes can cause ‘pasty butt. ‘
Don’t use honey in place of the sugar, it can have a type of botulism that can kill baby animals.
Provide chick starter crumbles for your little peeps and watch to see if they eat.
If your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis, you should give them non-medicated feed.
If they aren’t showing any interest in their food, try clipping up some tiny pieces of lettuce on top of the crumbles.
For other types of baby poultry, check to see if starter crumbles contain enough protein.
Provide chick grit to help aid their digestion. I use chick grit with probiotics.
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Provide the Proper Bedding
Don’t use newspapers or anything that is slippery to line the bottom of your brooder.
You may use paper towels, but I have switched to a textured vinyl shelf liner that is easy to clean. The texture gives a non-slip surface which prevents spraddle leg in chicks.
Once the chicks are moved to the barn, I use wood shavings for their bedding. They are easily raked away and replenished as the chicks soil them.
When the peeps are a couple of weeks old I usually switch to hay or straw for their bedding and I’ve never had any problems. When they are really small they tend to trip over the straw.
What To Do If Your Chicks Are Sick
Sometimes when day old chicks arrive they’ve had a rough trip.
Make sure they are actively drinking and eating… teach them how!
Add probiotics or apple cider vinegar to their drinking water (2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar per quart) or give them plain unsweetened yogurt.
After a day or two, give them electrolytes in their water. For an in-depth article, read How to Care for a Sick Chick.
If you notice signs of pasty butt (droppings sticking to vent), be sure to gently clean the feces off with a warm, damp cloth. Don’t rub too hard and make sure you aren’t irritating or removing any skin. Learn How to Treat Pasty Butt in Chicks.
Sometimes there is nothing you can do to save the little ones who arrive sick. Occasionally you will have one or two dead chicks in your shipment.
Be sure you know the hatchery’s replacement and refund policy before you order and let them know immediately if you receive dead or sick chicks.
The longer your chicks spend in shipping, the more likely you will have some losses. Pay extra for express shipping if it is available.
Read also: Reasons for chicken jerking their necks
Pay Attention to Your Day Old Chicks!
Life is busy and we often get distracted with all of the chores necessary on our homestead. However, making the investment in a batch of baby poultry isn’t just about the financial cost. You also need to invest your time and attention.
Check on the chicks often. Make sure the temperature in the brooder doesn’t drop to dangerous levels if the weather turns or a bulb burns out.
Keep a screen over the brooder box to prevent escape. Don’t let the water run out and make sure their food is fresh and available. Read up on How to Save Money on Chick Starter Feed.
Little chicks create a big mess and you will need to clean their brooder on a regular basis. Be prepared to pay close attention to your peeps while they are young and vulnerable.
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