Different Breeds of Chicks

Choosing which kind of poultry chick to raise depends on your needs. Larger poultry breeds, such as ducks and turkeys, require properly zoned outdoor space to adequately raise to adulthood. Chickens are often raised even in urban backyards for their eggs or meat. Quail are small, quiet birds that may also be raised in the city.

  1. Chicken Chicks

    • Baby chickens are raised in a brooder, where the warmth of their environment and their food intake can be monitored until they get their feathers at about eight weeks. Brooders are boxes with bedding that are large enough for the chicks to live without piling on each other. Some people use small animal cages, which are often used to house rabbits or guinea pigs, as chicken brooders. At eight weeks, baby chickens are old enough to be put in a coop. Chicken chicks are raised either for eggs or meat.

    Turkey Chicks

    • Turkey chicks are called poults. Very young poults are delicate and require a lot of attention. These tiny birds require a brooder with a heat source. Because poults often eat their bedding, cover it with a piece of burlap for the first week to discourage this behavior. Teach poults to eat and drink by gently dipping their beaks in water and food. As the birds grow, their food and water bowls must be lifted high enough so they won't defecate in them. Turkey poults are usually raised for their meat.

    Duck Chicks

    • Duck chicks, or ducklings, are raised in much the same way as chicken chicks. They require a brooder with warmth. Ducklings are larger chicks, so the heat source must be raised to prevent burning. They need a large brooder, with 1/2 square foot of space at first, increased to 1 square foot at four weeks. Ducklings have enough feathers to be outdoors in all but the coldest weather at four weeks. Ducklings may be raised either for meat or eggs. Duck eggs are larger, but similar in use to chicken eggs.

    Quail Chicks

    • Quail chicks are born very small and require warmth to grow healthy. A red bulb is recommended for their brooder, as quail chicks sometimes have behavior problems such as cannibalism which are corrected in this way. Quail chicks require pine bedding, rather than newspaper which is slippery and may cause them to have splayed legs. Add marbles to the base of the quail chicks' waterer to bring the water up and help keep the tiny babies from drowning. Quail chicks are raised for their small eggs and for meat.