How To Care For Newborn Baby Chicks

When Can Baby Chicks Go Outside

How do You Take Care of Newborn Chicks – Chick Care After Hatching

Baby chicks can start having short outdoor trips from three to four weeks. Raising your chicks is more entertaining when you take them out to peck at grass and chase down bugs. The only things to be concerned about are the weather, the outdoor temperature, and the chicks ages. These field trips help the chicks get some exercise and expand their food sources.

Benefits Of Adding Chicks To Your Coop

There are lots of benefits to caring for baby chicks. After all, they will grow up to provide for the farm in unique ways.

So, if youre unsure why you should get more chicks, here are some pros:

  • When old enough, they can produce eggs.
  • If needed, they can be used for meat.
  • They can get rid of pesky weeds and bugs.
  • They look beautiful when full-grown.
  • Some chickens make great pets instead of livestock.

Not all chicks are purchased for the same purposes. So, consider all these possibilities before deciding if chicks will benefit you. In many cases, they can be used for more than one purpose.

How To Care For Newly Hatched Chicks

After several weeks of incubation, your eggs will be ready to hatch. After they hatch, they cannot be kept in the incubator very long. It is time for them to move to a brooding area. A good brooding area is the key to chick survival and growth in their early stages of development. The important features of a good brooding area include:

  • A safe, protected area, away from potential predators and cold drafts. This area should be in a location where you have easy access to it in order to give them care and check on them regularly.
  • A dependable heat source with enough power for your particular brooder.
  • A feeding and drinking area.
  • A grippable and absorbant floor. Grippable floors are important because if the chicks legs slide or skid as they learn to walk they can develop a variety of problems in their legs and feet. Absorbant floors will help keep your chicks clean and dry.
  • Space. Most people suggest about 6 to 12 inches square per chick. Plenty of space is important because they like to move around. As the chicks grow, they will need more space.
  • Chicks only. Do not keep young chicks with older chickens.
  • Sanitary. As your chicks develop, you will need to clean the brooder on a regular basis to prevent disease.
  • As with water, chicks can regulate their own food intake. Just be sure their feeding dish is always full and they will eat what they need. They will not overeat. You will find yourself refilling food and water very frequently as the chicks grow.

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    Can You Make Your Own

    Some people do. I dont recommend it for the reason Ive stated above: its really very important for the chicks development that she has a properly balanced feed with exactly the required amount of protein and very low calcium.

    To try to provide that yourself is a big ask. In my view, its better to pay for a high quality feed that you and your chicks can rely on.

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    How To Raise Orphaned Baby Chickens

    Check out these tips about caring for your new baby chicks!

    A hen will look after her brood, meaning all you have to do is provide suitable food and keep their house clean. If something happens to her, or you adopted chicks by themselves, youll need to take on the mother’s role, in particular with regards to providing warmth. Although they are relatively independent compared to, for example, pigeon squabs and can feed themselves, chicks also need a special diet.

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    When To Move Chicks Outside

    Chicks need supplemental heating until they are around 6 weeks old, or are fully feathered out. We moved our chicks to the coop at 4 weeks old but set up the heating lamp in the coop for two more weeks after that. I remember the first night we had them in there I was like a new mother, checking on them multiple times and being so worried about them! But they were fine.

    The best part is when your chickens finally start laying eggs . Sometimes we get a huge egg like this and I just think, poor chicken. Ouch!

    Chickens are one of the easiest animals to raise on the homestead. They are the perfect animal to start out with, and they really dont require too much time. When you bring your baby chicks home you may feel a little nervous as they are so small, but they are actually quite easy to care for. Out of our 5 batches of chickens, for a total of 68 chickens weve only ever lost one baby chick during the chick stage. So, if we can do it, you can do it!

    While your first batch is always the most nerve-wracking, if you continue to raise baby chicks it wont feel nearly as scary with each new batch you raise. And its such an enjoyable experience, especially when those farm fresh eggs start showing up.

    For more articles about raising chickens, check out the ones below:

    If The Chicks Had A Hard Trip:

    If the birds are lethargic, acting listless or have manure pasting up try this:4 tablespoons of Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar to every quart of water for 3-5 days. To help chicks recover from a rough trip hardboil a few eggs and take just the yolk and crumble over their feed to help give them an energy boost.The stress of shipping can also cause the manure to stick to the back of the chick. If the chick becomes backed up, it could result in fatality. It is important to remove this daily. Pull off gently using a warm wash cloth.

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    Find A Reputable Breeder

    If you dont have any chickens yet or if you dont want to breed them yourself, you can purchase chicks from someone else. Day-old chicks are usually the cheapest because youll have to raise them before they can lay eggs. If you want a chicken that will add eggs to your coop sooner, consider buying a pullet or adult hen instead.

    Be careful about which breeders to trust since some might sell sick chicks. The breeder should be knowledgeable about the breed and should be happy to answer your chick-related questions. If the breeder seems very quick to make a sale, it might be best to search elsewhere.

    Baby Chicks Care Guide Summary

    How to Care For Baby Chicks

    Weve tried to get all the chick raising essentials here in one place! I cannot emphasize enough that having some knowledge before you start is going to help you tremendously.

    Learning how to care for baby chicks on your own may seem daunting at first, but you will soon get the hang of it.

    You will have your chores down to a fine science within a couple of weeks.

    If you have chicks that are being raised by a broody, she of course will do most of the daily cares for you.

    You will have to provide appropriate food for the chicks and clean, fresh water regularly, otherwise Mama Hen does it all.

    The down side to having a broody hen raise chicks is that they arent quite so friendly towards you but with patience they will accept you as a second mother.

    Let us know your tips for raising chicks in the comments section below

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    When You Should Not Handle Chicks And Chickens

    Most people will not have any trouble handling baby chicks. However, there are a few groups of people who should avoid handling chicks, such as people with allergies or asthma or people with severe autoimmune conditions. You should also not handle chicks if either you or the birds are ill or undergoing treatment. Some avian medications may cause allergic reactions in humans.

    It is unlikely and rare that someone is made ill by backyard chickens. The most common infection to catch from a chicken is a stomach bug like E Coli.

    Do Chickens Eat Right After Hatching

    Baby chicks absorb the yolk into their body before hatching. It provides them with many valuable nutrients. Hence, it is not necessary to feed them for the next 24 to 48 hours after hatching.

    However, baby chicks should have some water within 24 hours or the first day of hatching.

    These baby chickens may not know how to drink. Normally, the mother hen teaches the babies how to drink water. If you are hatching eggs with a broody hen, make sure there is a water source nearby.

    If you hatch them in an incubator, you will need to teach them. Put a baby chicken waterer in the incubator for the chicks. Check after a few hours to see if they consumed water or not. If your chicks are not drinking water on their own, gently dip their beak into the water. If they do not get it at once, be patient and gentle for a few more attempts until they learn to drink.

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    The Temperature In The Brooder

    Chicks will use the heat lamp to regulate their temperature. When they are cold, they will move towards the heat lamp. On the contrary, if you see them huddling on the sides, its too warm. Raising baby chicks includes continuously observing your chicks. Whatever the thermometer is saying, their behavior will guide you. In general, there must be plenty of hot and cold places for the chicks to hang out.

    When the chicks arrive, the temperature in the brooder under the lamp should be 90/95 degrees Fahrenheit. Then each week, lower the temperature by 5 degrees until they have feathers. Thats about 5 to 8 weeks in.

    When they feather out, you can remove the heat lamp and they are ready to stretch their legs outside.

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    When Is Medicated Food Necessary

    Raising Chickens

    Chicks who are hatched and raised in very cramped conditions, as often happens in commercial farms, are generally given medicated feed to prevent the spread of disease.

    If you’re hatching more than 50 chicks at a time, you may need to consider a medicated food.

    But backyard flocks really should not need it, particularly if you’re aiming to raise your flock naturally. Don’t be tempted to give your chicks medication “just in case”.

    Instead, make sure you practice good husbandry and effective biosecurity measures. Your flock will be healthy and happy without having chemicals in their system.

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    Feed To Prevent Chicks From Getting Sick

    Use chick starter feed for most chicks and game bird starter or meat bird feed for broiler chicks, turkeys, and waterfowl.

    The starter feeds are formulated for their growth requirements. Meat bird feed may also be fed to chicks, turkeys, and waterfowl that have higher protein requirements .

    The Importance of Fresh Feed

    Make sure the feed is fresh and there is no mold or rancid scent to it.

    Vitamin E breaks down in storage after about one month , so if the feed is old you may see symptoms of a deficiency in the youngsters.

    Watch for problems with twisted necks affecting chicks or flopping over on their backs and waving legs in the air with ducklings.

    Administer drops of vitamin E if this happens, get fresh feed, and add a vitamin and electrolyte tablet or powder with vitamin E to their water.

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    The Best Temperature For Baby Chicks

    For the first week of their lives, chicks should be kept in a brooding area that is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, with space to get out of the heat if they get too warm.

    • Week 1: 95 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Week 2: 90 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Week 3: 85 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Week 4: 80 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Week 5: 75 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Week 6: 70 degrees Fahrenheit

    Each week you will need to reduce the temperature of the brooder 5 degrees F until the youngsters are feathered out.

    If you notice the chicks piling on top of each other under the heat lamp, they are too cold. Lower the lamp, use a warmer bulb or add another heat lamp to the brooder.

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    If the chicks are as far from the heat lamp as possible and they are panting, the temperature is too warm for them. Raise the heat lamp or switch to a lower watt bulb.

    Be sure the peeps have room to move around and find the best temperature for themselves.

    Keep a digital thermometer under the heat lamp and check it several times a day. Be careful not to adjust the heat lamp and then get busy with something else. It doesnt take long for extreme temperatures to kill baby poultry.

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    Which Bedding Is Best In The Brooder

    Your brooders set up, your chicks are almost at the point where they can go into it but which bedding is best?

    This article reviews four different types of bedding for use as the chicks grow: wood shavings, sand, straw and newspaper.

    Find out which is best for your chicks in the brooder, and which one you should never use.

    Easy Ordering From Hatcheries

    Baby Chick Care Basics

    Spring is still the busy season for hatcheries that ship to backyard chicken keepers across the country. Skip the spring rush and avoid breeds being sold out by ordering in the winter. There could be a reduced number of breed choices, but the breeds they do offer will be tried and true heritage breeds.

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    Quail Pheasants & Guineas

    Use the basic instructions for chicks however, watch them more carefully for piling up. The temperature may need to be slightly higher for the smaller bodied birds. The temperature must be closely monitored.

    A thermometer is highly recommended. Special game bird water founts can be purchased. If you are using regular chick founts, add clean gravel or marbles to take up space so they do not drown or get chilled. You should use a colored bulb to help control cannibalism. We do not recommend wire flooring at a young age, because it is a good possibility that their legs will get caught in the wire.

    Caring For The Chicks Days 5

  • Expand the draft guard again on Day 5. If the chicks are getting past it, or the house is so small that practically all of it is inside the draft guard already, remove it.
  • Remove the quart-jar waterers gradually, one or two per day, until only the large-capacity or automatic waterers remain. Keep an eye on the chicks sometimes it takes longer for them to use the big waterers, and youll have to hold off removing the small ones.
  • Remove the first feeders gradually, one or two per day, until only the trough or tube feeders remain.
  • If tube feeders are used, check their height each day, adjusting them so the chicks are neither straining up nor reaching down to eat.
  • If trough feeders are used, fill them a little less full day by day, because a full trough leads to a great deal of feed wastage.
  • If overhead heat-lamp brooders are used, raise them a couple of inches higher at the end of the first week. If insulated heat lamp brooders are used, reduce the wattage of the bulbs at the end of the first week if the chicks seem comfortable. Turn down thermostatically controlled brooders by 5 degrees F.
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    Budget Time For Your Chicks

    Our lives were full that first spring on our homestead. I was working two jobs, we just had our 3rd child, and we were building our homestead from scratch. Time was limited.

    Weve since learned that chicks take time. Time to observe, make the necessary adjustments, and keep them worry free. Our goal now is to check on them in the brooder several times a day. Do they have food and water? How are they behaving? Are they too hot or too cold? Do the lamps need adjusting? Do they need fresh bedding? Any poop butters?!?!

    Budgeting around 1 hour per day has been the appropriate amount for our setup.

    You may not need that much time. They may be fine and have all they need. But then when something does come up, you can slow down, observe your chicks, tend to them, and give them what they need without feeling like you need to be somewhere else.

    Bringing Home Your Babies

    Health &  Seasonal Issues

    Whether you purchased from a hatchery, feed store, or a local farmer, get your chicks comfortable right away. Set them on clean bedding, with the heat lamp on. Introduce them to their water by dipping beaks in then setting the babies beside the waterer, especially if they just traveled to you in the mail. Most chicks will catch on right away and return for a second drink but you may have to dip beaks again.

    Watch your babies closely during the first day. If you see a black string extending from their rear ends, do not pull it. This is the remnant of the umbilical cord. Let chicks wander around freely within the brooder. Avoid holding them unless you need to assess their health or lead them toward food and water. People new to raising baby chicks often monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Those who have done it a few times simply watch the babies behavior if theyre cold, theyll huddle up together. When temperatures are too high they move away from the heat lamp and pant with their beaks open.

    Keep children and pets away from brooders. Establish boundaries. Babies are tempting to touch, pick up and perhaps eat. Some dogs want to mother the babies and chicks dont appreciate being licked repeatedly. Others want a simple snack. And though your children wish to be involved in the process of raising baby chicks, they often dont realize how delicate the hatchlings can be. A drop from eighteen inches up can kill a chick.

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