Tips for Raising Baby Chicks

If you have never raised baby chicks before but have always wanted to, you may be wondering where to start. Luckily, we are here to provide you guidance and offer all the products necessary to build the perfect home for your chicks! To raise healthy chicks, you will need to consider room temperature, food, water, and bedding. 

Tips to provide comfort and care for your baby chicks:

1. Provide them with room-temperature water in their new home, so they are immediately comfortable
2. Ensure the temperature in their new home is just right
   • Most chicks prefer a warm temperature between 95-100 degrees within their first hour of rehoming
   • After that, the temperature can drop to 95 degrees. You can drop the temperature by lowering the heat lamp
   • The temperature can remain between 90-95 degrees for the first week
   • Finally, the temperature can be lowered by 5 degrees per week until it reaches a minimum of 55 degrees
3. Create a cozy environment, so your chicks are not stressed
   • Give each chick enough room to move away from the heat lamp. For example, use our photo to plan your space  
   • To prevent crowding, house chicks in a round tub or block the corners of their home with cardboard or a similar material 
   • Use large wood shavings as bedding to ensure chicks’ safety and comfort
4. Feed chicks the right food and water
   • Make a trough feeder or round feeder easily accessible for feeding 
   • Use the proper size waterer. We recommend a quart jar for every 5 chicks or a gallon waterer for every 25 chicks
   • Give chicks a starter or grower feed until they lay their first egg and then switch to an egg layer feed. We recommend and sell Purina® feed for every stage of the growth cycle 

For more information on raising chicks:

To learn more, join us for our Chick Days event at the Country Store on March 31, 2022, at 6:30 pm. If you can’t make the event, feel free to ask our staff about chick starter kits and feeds during your next visit to the Country Store or visit the Purina® website.  

And don’t forget to read our newsletters for seasonal news and education!