by Theresa Leschmann

Created on: June 14, 2009

Raising Chickens from Baby Chicks

Raising chickens from baby chicks is easier than you might think. It doesn't require costly equipment or large amounts of time to raise chicks. I've raised six or seven batches of chicks by myself and if I can do it, so can you.

Shelter

Chicks bought from hatcheries are shipped when they are one day old. When they arrive at your doorstep, they will be two days old. They are in their most fragile state but are relatively hearty. They need warmth, food and water immediately. If you are only planning to raise chicks once in a while or plan to raise relatively small numbers, you can use a cardboard box or clean plastic tub about 18 to 24 inches tall. Line the bottom with sawdust or finely shaved wood chips. Newspaper is not recommended. Although it has good absorption, it breaks down very quickly. Sawdust stands up better.

Temperature

Your local farm supply store or the hatchery where you purchased the chicks should be able to supply the other items you need. For warmth, a heat lamp should be hung directly over the box you are using as a brooder. For the first few days, it needs to hang fairly low as the chicks need temperatures around 90 degrees. When the chicks are five days old, you can begin to reduce the temperature a degree or two each day. You can adjust the temperature by gradually raising the heat lamp a little every other day. If the chicks seem to congregate under the source of the heat, they are cold and you may need to lower the heat lamp. If they are huddled as far away from the lamp as they can get inside the box, they are hot and you need to raise the lamp a bit. By the time the chicks reach three weeks old, they are capable of withstanding temperature around 32, so long as it is dry and still.

Feeders

Feeders come in several varieties. A plastic chick feeder with a reel along the top to prevent roosting is a good choice. It holds up to 5 pounds of feed and because of reel on top; the chicks cannot sit there and drop feces into the food. For small flocks, canning jars with a special screw on feeder tray are another good choice. A quart jar will last several days. When they arrive, baby chicks are very small. Often they cannot reach over the edges of most commercially sold feeders. The best way to contend with this is to push some of the bedding aside and nestle the feeder down into it, making the food more accessible for the chicks.

Water Dispensers

Clean, fresh water is critical. Everything from

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