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If you do not have a mother hen to hatch and raise your baby chicks you will need to take extra care when raising chicks you purchased or hatched in an incubator. These helpful tips and the ones in the video below will keep your baby chicks healthy and happy.
Bringing the chicks home:
What an exciting day! Whether you are bringing your new chicks home or just hatched some baby chicks in your incubator, you will need this information to make sure your chicks stay safe and healthy. Before you bring baby chicks home you need to make sure you have all the right supplies. Provide them with with safe housing
You should provide your baby chicks with a safe place to live, fresh food, clean, safe water, warmth, and protection from sickness, disease, and predator's as well as, give them plenty of attention. You should get a cage that has a small enough mesh (hardware cloth works great) that the baby chick cannot get stuck between the bars and so predators cannot reach in and grab them. For the first week, I use a rabbit cage with a deep plastic bottom so the chicks can scratch around for feed without making a big mess outside the cage and I line the cage with hardware cloth or window screening. (I keep this cage inside my house where I can keep an eye on the chicks or I use a Red Barn chicken run, set atop a wood platform, inside my chicken coop). Make sure the cage has a flat bottom with no holes, wire, or mesh (baby chicks feet are so tiny they can get stuck in small holes). Be sure there are no gaps large enough for a snake or other predator to squeeze or reach through.
Keep your baby chicks warm
You will need a heating plate or heat lamp to keep your chicks warm. More chicks can keep each other warmer. (When you get baby chicks it is best to get 4-10 chicks at a time so they can keep one another warm). Baby chicks need to be kept at a temp of 98F degrees. If they get too cold or too hot they will die. Heating plates are safer to use and baby chicks can move under the heating plate if they are cold or away from the heat plate if they get too hot. Heat lamps are a cheaper alternative for providing warmth but can be extremely dangerous if they are not secured properly. The clamps that come with most heat lamps will not withstand the heat the bulbs put off and will loosen over time causing the heat lamp to fall onto the baby chicks and into the bedding. A heat lamp placed to close to the bedding (less than 3 feet) can cause a fire as the heat will cause the bedding to get extremely dry and can ignite the bedding if placed too close.
About Heat lamps:
If you choose a heat lamp be sure to properly secure it. (Make sure that the heat lamp is secured. Your heat lamp may come with a clamp but these clamps are not always secure, as many people have had the lamp come loose and start fires which kill the baby chicks. Secure the lamp with a small chain with clips or wire and make sure the lamp cannot move from where you put it. Check to make sure the heat lamp is not too close. The easiest way to do this is to stick your hand in the cage, if the lamp feels like it is burning your hand-it is too close, and will get your chicks too hot and can start a fire. Keep heat lamp away from flammable items and make sure it is securely clamped, tied with heat resistant wire or both. I keep my baby chicks in a run designed for the Red Barn chicken coop which is on a table I made from plywood and put 4/1 foot tall legs on it to keep it off the floor. I use a heating plate to keep them warm so they can go under it if they get cold or come out if they are too hot. In my older runs I use a small parakeet cage with a metal bottom and wire the heat lamp into the cage and set it into the run. I also cover the sides of the run with tarps during colder weather to keep the wind out. I keep my runs inside my chicken coop which is a 3 bedroom trailer house converted into a chicken coop, it can get breezy in there as I have ventilation and industrial fans going. I put them in the runs because with the lamps in the parakeet cages because I do not feel safe using a heat lamp with a cardboard box or a plastic bin like I have seen many people do. Heating plates are a safer way to keep baby chicks warm. See Baby Chicks under a Premier Heating Plate
Feeding & Watering
Keep them clean (change bedding often) and dry at all times Do not get baby chicks wet because they will die in a matter of minutes. If they do get wet dry them off as quickly as possible. There is no need EVER to bathe a baby chick even though you may have seen videos of this online. If your chick gets a pasty butt, just use a damp wet cloth or paper towel and gently wipe it. Put marbles in their water to help weigh it down and to prevent chicks from drowning in their water. If the waterer gets low on water it could tip over. As chicks start to grow you should get a larger heavier waterer so they cannot tip it over.
Bedding
Pine bedding shavings, straw, and even paper towels are favorites for baby chick bedding but these materials are highly flammable and could ignite under a heat lamp. I use old towels for bedding while the chicks are still wet from hatching in the brooder or the incubator but I watch them closely and make sure the heat lamp is not too close. I prefer to use the heated plate brooders because the chicks don't get to hot and the bedding won't start on fire if the brooder lamp falls or gets too hot. I recently tried potting soil and and it worked very well for my baby chicks and their broody mother hen, it also worked well with the heat lamps and brooder plates. Play sand also worked well except that the chicks tried to eat it and I am not sure if it is safe to eat so I won't use it again until I find out.
Supervision
Do not let them go unsupervised for long periods (checking on the chicks regularly will allow you to make sure they have not gotten into a dangerous situation).
Handling Baby Chicks
It is best not to handle your baby chicks no more than you have to for the first week as newly hatched chicks have very tender soft bones and skin that can tear easily from rough handling. It is wise to allow them to get used to their new surroundings with the least amount of stress. Be very gentle when handling your new baby chicks and be very careful not to drop them. Baby chicks are well known for jumping out of peoples hands. Don't allow children under the age of 5 to handle baby chicks as they may squeeze to hard, drop them, and due to the fact that children under the age of 5 have weaker immune systems.
Protecting Baby Chicks
Keep your baby chicks safe from pets in a safe enclosure that cannot be tipped over, is covered from the top. Many of the chicken coops you find online are really not big enough for adult chickens but work very well for protecting baby chicks in your house, garage, shed, or barn or under an awning. Most are not safe in a storm and will blow away, chicks should be indoors at night and not in an unsafe outdoor coop subject to predators and the elements. People's dogs and cats are usually the first predator that kills their baby chicks. Even a very tame cat or dog (especially puppies) cannot resist the jumpy, jerky movements of baby chicks. They may not even be trying to harm the chick but don't take the chance. One wrong move and your baby chicks are dead. If you allow your dogs and cats around your chicks while the chicks are safely enclosed they will gradually get used to them. NEVER leave your other pets unattended around your baby chicks or pullets.
Vaccinations
It is very important to only buy vaccinated baby chicks. Studies show unvaccinated baby chicks have higher risk for disease, coccidiosis, new castle disease, marek's disease, salmonella, and other illnesses. If you hatch the chicks yourself you should purchase the vaccines from a reputable source, such as Murray's Hatchery or Valley Vet Pet Supply to name a few. (See vaccine's for chickens).
Watch the video below for some unique tips to take care of baby chicks.
Bringing the chicks home:
What an exciting day! Whether you are bringing your new chicks home or just hatched some baby chicks in your incubator, you will need this information to make sure your chicks stay safe and healthy. Before you bring baby chicks home you need to make sure you have all the right supplies. Provide them with with safe housing
You should provide your baby chicks with a safe place to live, fresh food, clean, safe water, warmth, and protection from sickness, disease, and predator's as well as, give them plenty of attention. You should get a cage that has a small enough mesh (hardware cloth works great) that the baby chick cannot get stuck between the bars and so predators cannot reach in and grab them. For the first week, I use a rabbit cage with a deep plastic bottom so the chicks can scratch around for feed without making a big mess outside the cage and I line the cage with hardware cloth or window screening. (I keep this cage inside my house where I can keep an eye on the chicks or I use a Red Barn chicken run, set atop a wood platform, inside my chicken coop). Make sure the cage has a flat bottom with no holes, wire, or mesh (baby chicks feet are so tiny they can get stuck in small holes). Be sure there are no gaps large enough for a snake or other predator to squeeze or reach through.
Keep your baby chicks warm
You will need a heating plate or heat lamp to keep your chicks warm. More chicks can keep each other warmer. (When you get baby chicks it is best to get 4-10 chicks at a time so they can keep one another warm). Baby chicks need to be kept at a temp of 98F degrees. If they get too cold or too hot they will die. Heating plates are safer to use and baby chicks can move under the heating plate if they are cold or away from the heat plate if they get too hot. Heat lamps are a cheaper alternative for providing warmth but can be extremely dangerous if they are not secured properly. The clamps that come with most heat lamps will not withstand the heat the bulbs put off and will loosen over time causing the heat lamp to fall onto the baby chicks and into the bedding. A heat lamp placed to close to the bedding (less than 3 feet) can cause a fire as the heat will cause the bedding to get extremely dry and can ignite the bedding if placed too close.
About Heat lamps:
If you choose a heat lamp be sure to properly secure it. (Make sure that the heat lamp is secured. Your heat lamp may come with a clamp but these clamps are not always secure, as many people have had the lamp come loose and start fires which kill the baby chicks. Secure the lamp with a small chain with clips or wire and make sure the lamp cannot move from where you put it. Check to make sure the heat lamp is not too close. The easiest way to do this is to stick your hand in the cage, if the lamp feels like it is burning your hand-it is too close, and will get your chicks too hot and can start a fire. Keep heat lamp away from flammable items and make sure it is securely clamped, tied with heat resistant wire or both. I keep my baby chicks in a run designed for the Red Barn chicken coop which is on a table I made from plywood and put 4/1 foot tall legs on it to keep it off the floor. I use a heating plate to keep them warm so they can go under it if they get cold or come out if they are too hot. In my older runs I use a small parakeet cage with a metal bottom and wire the heat lamp into the cage and set it into the run. I also cover the sides of the run with tarps during colder weather to keep the wind out. I keep my runs inside my chicken coop which is a 3 bedroom trailer house converted into a chicken coop, it can get breezy in there as I have ventilation and industrial fans going. I put them in the runs because with the lamps in the parakeet cages because I do not feel safe using a heat lamp with a cardboard box or a plastic bin like I have seen many people do. Heating plates are a safer way to keep baby chicks warm. See Baby Chicks under a Premier Heating Plate
Feeding & Watering
- Provide chicks with starter feed. I used medicated starter feed and slightly warm scrambled eggs (I use coconut oil to fry them) or boiled eggs, mixed together to make a crumbly mash. I add water to dry feed so there is less feed wasted from chicks scratching it out of the feed dishes.
- Provide them with fresh water in a shallow water container (I put glass marbles in the water to keep them from drowning in it)
- Put a little sugar in the water for the first few days. The sugar will give the chicks an extra boost to help them recover from being moved around alot.
Keep them clean (change bedding often) and dry at all times Do not get baby chicks wet because they will die in a matter of minutes. If they do get wet dry them off as quickly as possible. There is no need EVER to bathe a baby chick even though you may have seen videos of this online. If your chick gets a pasty butt, just use a damp wet cloth or paper towel and gently wipe it. Put marbles in their water to help weigh it down and to prevent chicks from drowning in their water. If the waterer gets low on water it could tip over. As chicks start to grow you should get a larger heavier waterer so they cannot tip it over.
Bedding
Pine bedding shavings, straw, and even paper towels are favorites for baby chick bedding but these materials are highly flammable and could ignite under a heat lamp. I use old towels for bedding while the chicks are still wet from hatching in the brooder or the incubator but I watch them closely and make sure the heat lamp is not too close. I prefer to use the heated plate brooders because the chicks don't get to hot and the bedding won't start on fire if the brooder lamp falls or gets too hot. I recently tried potting soil and and it worked very well for my baby chicks and their broody mother hen, it also worked well with the heat lamps and brooder plates. Play sand also worked well except that the chicks tried to eat it and I am not sure if it is safe to eat so I won't use it again until I find out.
Supervision
Do not let them go unsupervised for long periods (checking on the chicks regularly will allow you to make sure they have not gotten into a dangerous situation).
Handling Baby Chicks
It is best not to handle your baby chicks no more than you have to for the first week as newly hatched chicks have very tender soft bones and skin that can tear easily from rough handling. It is wise to allow them to get used to their new surroundings with the least amount of stress. Be very gentle when handling your new baby chicks and be very careful not to drop them. Baby chicks are well known for jumping out of peoples hands. Don't allow children under the age of 5 to handle baby chicks as they may squeeze to hard, drop them, and due to the fact that children under the age of 5 have weaker immune systems.
Protecting Baby Chicks
Keep your baby chicks safe from pets in a safe enclosure that cannot be tipped over, is covered from the top. Many of the chicken coops you find online are really not big enough for adult chickens but work very well for protecting baby chicks in your house, garage, shed, or barn or under an awning. Most are not safe in a storm and will blow away, chicks should be indoors at night and not in an unsafe outdoor coop subject to predators and the elements. People's dogs and cats are usually the first predator that kills their baby chicks. Even a very tame cat or dog (especially puppies) cannot resist the jumpy, jerky movements of baby chicks. They may not even be trying to harm the chick but don't take the chance. One wrong move and your baby chicks are dead. If you allow your dogs and cats around your chicks while the chicks are safely enclosed they will gradually get used to them. NEVER leave your other pets unattended around your baby chicks or pullets.
Vaccinations
It is very important to only buy vaccinated baby chicks. Studies show unvaccinated baby chicks have higher risk for disease, coccidiosis, new castle disease, marek's disease, salmonella, and other illnesses. If you hatch the chicks yourself you should purchase the vaccines from a reputable source, such as Murray's Hatchery or Valley Vet Pet Supply to name a few. (See vaccine's for chickens).
Watch the video below for some unique tips to take care of baby chicks.
Raising Baby Chicks for Beginners: What you need to know about breeds, brooders, bedding, feed, health & biohazards. Note: I may receive a small commission on eligible purchases.
References:
1. Free Image on Pixabay - Poultry, Chicken, Animal, Bird. (2018). Pixabay.com. Retrieved 11 July 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/poultry-chicken-animal-bird-farm-152370/
2. Photo edited with BeFunky photo editor. https://www.befunky.com/create/
3. Header photo. Hen with her baby chicks under the banana tree. (2018). Flickr. Retrieved 11 July 2018, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/28457235@N04/27284976195
4. TAKING CARE OF BABY CHICKS WEEK 01. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVZgznViBGA
1. Free Image on Pixabay - Poultry, Chicken, Animal, Bird. (2018). Pixabay.com. Retrieved 11 July 2018, from https://pixabay.com/en/poultry-chicken-animal-bird-farm-152370/
2. Photo edited with BeFunky photo editor. https://www.befunky.com/create/
3. Header photo. Hen with her baby chicks under the banana tree. (2018). Flickr. Retrieved 11 July 2018, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/28457235@N04/27284976195
4. TAKING CARE OF BABY CHICKS WEEK 01. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVZgznViBGA
