by Renee Adams

Created on: August 22, 2007

How to Raise Chicks

Chicks are not hard to raise, but like any animal, they do require a certain amount of care. It is easy for a chick to die if the owner is not prepared to raise one. Hopefully, this guide will help prevent the death of your chicks due to any mishaps that might have been prevented.

There are two options when you acquire a new batch of chicks. Either you bought them, and they came in a big box, peeping cheerily away, or they were hatched from their eggs and you took them from the mother. If you did not take the chicks from the mother, you do not need to read this. The mother hen will do her best for them.

No matter how you obtained your chicks, the first thing you will need is somewhere to put them. A box of any type works well. Glass fish tanks also work well so long as they have a flat bottom and are large enough. Whatever container you decide to use, make sure that it has an open top. Chicks can not flutter out at this young age, so there is no need to worry. Also check that the chicks have plenty of extra space. Packing them too closely in a box will result in some of them being trampled to death by the other chicks.

Line the bottom of your container with a lot of newspaper. Attach a heat lamp to the container to keep your chicks warm. They should have plenty of room to huddle under the lamp, as well as room to leave the warmth if they choose. Purchase a chick waterer. You can buy one from a farm supply catalog such as Jeffers. Leave this on the bottom of the container and be sure to clean it regularly. Scatter chick food on the newspapers for the chicks to scratch and peck at. Also add a little sand to the food. Chicks use small stones (like sand) to grind up the food contained in their gizzard. This will help them digest their food.

Before transferring your chicks to their new home, take a small dish of water and add a little sugar to it (just a little, not much at all). As you move the chicks, take them one at a time, and dip their beaks into the water briefly. Make sure they drink, then place the chick in your newspaper lined container. They may need to try drinking two or three times before you actually succeed.

Once all your chicks are in their new home, make sure you care for them regularly. Change the newspaper when it gets too dirty, keep their water clean and fresh, and scatter food and sand for them daily.

Eventually, your chicks will grow. Be prepared with a larger place to keep them. Your chicken coop should ideally have both an outdoor pen and an indoor roost. You can install nesting boxes in the roost for your hens to lay eggs if you wish. They will need a high place to perch at night, as well. Make sure you have a clean place set up for food and water.

Outside, the wire should enclose an area completely. Make sure wire covers the top of the pen too, because as your chicks mature, they will be able to flutter over the wire if there is no top to it. The holes in the chicken wire should be small to prevent snakes and such from entering. There should be a latch on the entrance to your chicken coop to keep foxes and raccoons out. They love a late night chicken snack.

Raising chicks is not a difficult task if done right. It is simply a matter of giving them food, water, heat, and a safe place to live. When they become adults, it is much of the same care, but in a larger pen.

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