How to Grow Baby Chicks

Philosophical questions aside, you can̵7;t have chickens without chicks. It̵7;s difficult to imagine something more vulnerable than a newly hatched chick. Exhausted from the two- to four-hour ordeal of breaking through their shells, the chicks lie prone, nearly motionless except for their rapid breathing. Luckily, they soon recover and get on the road to growth. Chicks will grow on their own, as long as you set up an environment conducive to their health and well-being.

Things You'll Need

  • Bedding
  • Heat lamp
  • Broken cardboard box
  • Waterer
  • Feeder
  • Chick starter feed
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare an area for the chicks. Allot half a square foot per chick, and make sure it is protected against predators.

    • 2

      Spread the area with bedding. There are several schools of thought, from those suggesting you lay down newspaper and change it every day or two to those recommending you put down a 6-inch-deep layer of shavings or straw and just tend it when necessary.

    • 3

      Suspend a heat lamp 18 inches above the bedding. A red ̶0;infrared̶1; heat lamp is best because it allows the chicks to sleep more easily and minimizes their boredom during the night, which also will minimize their pecking.

    • 4

      Build a circular wall with the cardboard. The cardboard will keep drafts down and will also keep the chicks from wandering too far away from their heat source.

    • 5

      Fill the waterer with room-temperature water. As the chicks arrive, dip their beaks in the water and set them down nearby so they know where the water is. Some people add electrolytes and/or sugar to the water for the first day or two to kick start their chicks̵7; growth.

    • 6

      Fill the feeder with chick starter feed. You can cut a piece of hardware cloth to fit under the cover of the feeder, which will limit the waste of feed as the chicks scratch.

    • 7

      Observe the resting behavior of the chicks. If they cluster in a dense circle under the center of the lamp, they are cold, so lower the lamp a bit. If they are in a circle around the center of the lamp, leaving the center unpopulated, the lamp is too close, so raise it a bit. As your chicks grow, they will want less heat, so you will need to adjust this over the first couple weeks.

    • 8

      Place grass cuttings or a handful of weeds in the enclosure on a daily basis. This will provide the chicks with something to peck at besides one another.