Best Way to Start Baby Chicks

8 steps to get your baby chicks

The other day when going by our local TSC, I saw it was chick days! While we’re not experts, we have started several chicks in our chicken operation and have a few tips to get you started right.

Choose what you want:

We do not do meat birds, just egg layers. Chicken breeds are different for what you’re looking for. Make sure if you want egg layers, you get a breed designed for that. We have a variety of chickens that are good egg layers and do well in free range environments. Our girls all lay brown eggs, but that is pure coincidence, not because we were specifically looking for that. Also, think about if you’re going to get straight runs (hens and roosters) or just pullets (only hens). Roosters are great for protection, but can be ornery when they get older.

Think about how many you’re going to want:

They look so tiny in those tanks at your store, but they do grow up! Depending on your size, 5 would be the least I would recommend to get. If you’re buying baby chicks, you’re a much better chicken farmer than I am if you can keep them all alive. Those chicks have been through a lot and some simply don’t make it. Keep that in mind when you’re purchasing your chicks. Integrating older chicks and younger chicks are hard to do so it’s best if you buy all the same age.

Equipment Needed:

Food & Water equipment:

You will need a waterer and feeder. Buy ones that can be used as they grow and not have to buy more as they get bigger. We feed the baby starter pellets while they’re growing to get them a really good start.

Where are they going to be:

Think about what you’re going to put them in until they’re ready to go outside. Baby chicks need to be inside and warm. They need a heat lamp. We use old metal stock tanks that don’t hold water anymore. Whatever you use, make sure the chicks have access for room to move. They need to have a heat lamp, but also an option to not be under the light. If you use a red heat lamp, it causes less pecking in the chicks. If the babies are huddled together, they are cold and the light needs moved closer to them. If they aren’t under the light and moving freely around their home, they are happy. Don’t turn the light off, they probably use it more than you think. We ended up giving our last set of chicks a couple lights because one wasn’t cutting it.

how to keep food/water cleaner:

Keep their water off the floor. Whether you put straw or wood chips or old newspaper down for bedding, they are going to get their water dirty. Keeping it hung up will keep it more clean. Be careful that they can still reach it because baby chicks need access to water at all times, but high enough that they won’t walk through it trying to move. The same for the feed. If you can hang it up a bit, it will keep the feed cleaner and the chickies will waste less of it.

Medicine:

Keep a close watch on your flock. Sometimes they get bored and decide to peck each other. Once they get the taste of blood, they will keep pecking one until it dies. We use blu-kote on the birdies that have been pecked. You should be able to find it wherever you bought your birds. We have also bought the flock blocks that are designed with bugs and other good stuff to give your chicks something to do. Chickens want to peck, that’s what their instinct is. So when we don’t give them anything to peck at, they go after each other. Provide them with other opportunities while they’re growing up.

outside pen:

Get your outside pen ready. Whether you’re going to be putting them in an enclosed pen all the time or they’re going to be free range, you need to make sure that it is tight and secure. All sorts of night creatures can take your birdies while you think they are safe in bed. Be sure to put a top over your pen so hawks and other flying animals can’t get to them. We move them to their home and leave them locked in for a few days to orient them to their new space. We leave their light with them until none of them are using it. The birds need to be pretty good size before trying them outside. When they start flying out of whatever you put them in when you got home, is a pretty good indication that they are almost ready.

FRESH EGGS!

Then enjoy your fresh eggs once they are old enough to lay (about 6 months old). The chickens that have pale legs or almost white are the ones that are laying. The ones with bright and vibrant legs mean they aren’t laying, if you’re curious.

What other questions didn’t I answer? Let me know how your chicken enterprise goes!

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