How to Take Care of Just Hatched Chickens

The birth of a new crop of chicks is an exciting experience, but there are few steps to take to ensure the chicks stay healthy, fed and clean. When chicks are born they are very delicate, and need the right environment to help them survive to adulthood. Make sure that the chicks are away from any potential predators.

Things You'll Need

  • Box or aquarium
  • Light bulb
  • Thermometer
  • Litter
  • Water dish
  • Chick feeder
  • Starter feed
  • Chick-sized grit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Leave the chicks under the hen when they begin hatching. The chicks will hatch at different times, and the hen will keep the new chicks nearby while sitting on the unhatched eggs.

    • 2
      Line the box with litter or wood shavings.

      Keep the chicks warm if there is no hen sitting on them. Put them in a box, cage or aquarium with a heat lamp on top, or use a covered heating pad under litter, wood shavings or sand. The temperature should be 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Hang a thermometer in the box so you can regulate the temperature.

    • 3

      Give the chicks clean water, and keep the water dish in the box at all times. Use a low, heavy dish that cannot be tipped, or use a chick watering system from a feed store. Keep the water dish full and clean.

    • 4

      Use a chick feeder to hold their food. Sometimes new chicks will use their food bowl as a bathroom, and this is not likely to happen with a chick feeder. Make sure the feeder is large enough so each chick has a spot at the same time. Fill the feeder with starter feed, or give them instant oatmeal for a few days. Infant cereal or any other grains are also suitable. The food should stay with them at all times -- chicks will not overeat.

    • 5

      Add chick-sized grit to the box or cage. Grit will help them digest things they have eaten that may not be nutritious. When the chicks are very young, sprinkle the grit on the food. As the chicks get older, put the grit in a separate dish.

    • 6

      Keep the litter and the food dishes dry and clean. Remove the wet and dirty litter and replace it with clean litter. This may be a tedious and continual job. If you have a hen in the box, she will have bad smelling excrement and it needs to be eliminated frequently. She also scratches and kicks litter into the food and water, so you must be vigilant about the cleanliness.