How to Care for Baby Chicks

One of the most important decisions you will need to make is whether you want to start with pullets or baby chicks. Pullets are hens that have just begun to lay eggs. Many people who keep chickens as pets do prefer to begin with baby chicks. They are certainly cute and starting out with baby chicks gives you the unique opportunity to bond with your babies. On the other hand, there are definitely disadvantages of which you should be aware of.

Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks of starting with baby chicks is that they do require far more care than full-grown chickens. You will also have to wait for your hens to begin laying. On average, it will take between 4-5 months before your hens will begin laying eggs.

If purchasing from a large supplier, you may find the cost to purchase chicken baby chicks to be somewhat expensive. Some commercial suppliers will not sell less than 25 chicks at a time. There is also often a minimum shipping charge for orders under 25. One way to avoid this problem is to purchase your chicken baby chicks from a nearby farm or even a farm supply store. Many farm supply stores typically begin carrying baby chicks during the spring. They usually do not have minimum purchase requirements.

The disadvantage to purchasing baby chicks at a farm supply store is that you may find they have a somewhat limited supply. If you are searching for an ornamental or even a rare breed you may have better luck in ordering your chicks.

Caring for your New Baby Chicks

If you do decide to bring home these baby chickens, it is imperative that proper care of baby chicks is taken. One of the great advantages of keeping baby chicks is that they can be kept practically anywhere. They will grow rapidly but as babies they are quite small and proper care of baby chicks should be taken into account. While they are young it is important that you do not delay in preparing an adequate living space for them. By around age four weeks you should be prepared to transfer them to their outdoor living space.

When they are still very young, you need to be prepared to keep them in an environment that is safe from drafts as well as predators. A nice chicken wire is good to use. Some possible locations include a basement, workshop, garage, etc. While some people might think keeping them in an indoor living space would work just as well, you will quickly learn that chicks of all ages and sizes enjoy scratching around the chicken wire. As you might imagine, this can create quite a mess. The older your chicks get, the bigger the mess will be. This is why a basement, workshop or garage is the best location for them when they are young. They can be protected from drafts that could cause a life-threatening illness as well as possible predators, without the concern of a mess in your home.

Baby chicks care from drafts is absolutely essential for that purpose a proper chicken wire should be used. At the same time, you must also make certain they have ample ventilation. Some possible ideas include a cardboard box with holes or even a plastic storage bin, provided they are large enough. Ideally, you need to have a minimum of two square feet per baby chick.

Maintaining the proper temperature is also important for your baby chicks. To be kept healthy, your baby chicks will need a heating source. It might surprise you to discover that until they are a week old, these baby hens need the air around them to be about 95 degrees. That is why the mama hen continues to tuck them under her! Even into the subsequent weeks of life, they still need a fairly warm environment. The temperature should only gradually decrease by about five degrees per week until the babies are ready to be moved outside. You see, baby chicks care is most essential.

So, how do you maintain an adequate temperature? A good solution is an infrared heat lamp. 250 watts is sufficient. Suspending the lamp overhead above the baby chicks’ living area will provide them with the necessary heat they need. It should be noted that many people prefer to use a red heat lamp to avoid the glare that can be produced from a bright white light. This can actually make it hard for the babies to sleep. When you first move the baby chicks into their temporary living area, it is imperative to monitor their behavior closely.

For instance, if you notice the babies tend to crowd together right beneath the heat source, this is a good indication they are cold. You can try either lowering the heat lamp so it is closer to the chicks or adding another heat lamp. On the other hand, if you notice the chicks are spending more time near the edge of their living area, this is a good indication they are too hot and they are trying to get away from the heat source. In this case, simply raise the heat lamp.

Your baby chicks will also need plenty of absorbent bedding. Baby chicks poop and they poop a lot! You and they will be much happier if you take the time to line their living area with plenty of absorbent material. The best solution is to spread out pine shavings to about a one inch thickness. Many people try to use newspaper and discover the hard way it becomes too slippery and is not absorbent enough. Take note; however, that you should not use cedar shavings. There are aromatic oils on cedar shavings that can irritate the sensitive lungs of baby chicks. Later on, this can cause your baby chickens to become more prone to developing respiratory problems and that is something you certainly want to avoid.

One final thing you should be aware of when preparing their living environment is the need to place some type of netting over the top of their living environment. You might be surprised to discover that baby chicks are fairly adept at flying. Even babies that are only a week old can easily fly up 12 inches or so. To prevent such problems, try draping some netting or even applying some chicken wire to the top of your container or brooder.

Next comes food! You must feed baby chicks to their fill. You will also need to make sure your baby chicks have constant access to plenty of fresh drinking water and appropriate chick feed. While it might seem simple enough to provide a dish, baby chickens have been known to drown in such containers. Even without that risk, you will find you have to constantly change the water as the babies will frequently walk through their dishes and spill them-when they aren’t pooping in them! The best solution is to use a waterer that is specifically designed for use with multiple baby chicks. You can find such waterers in a variety of sizes as well as shapes. Keep in mind that regardless of what type of waterer you choose to use, you should still plan to change the water several times per day.

Along with a waterer, you will also need a chick feeder. A bowl or a dish should also not be used for feeding purposes. You can be certain your chicks will kick it over and make a big mess. It is also possible for the dish to be tipped over and for a baby chick to become trapped underneath and suffocate. Go ahead and invest in a baby chick feeder.

Your baby chicks will also need some quality food. The best food to feed baby chicks is what is known as starter feed. This type of food has been specially formulated to provide everything your babies need. You can typically find this chick feed available as either mash or crumbles. Remember to carefully review the guidelines from the feed manufacturer to determine how long you should feed baby chicks with the starter feed. Some manufacturers produce starter feed that should be given for the first four weeks; but this can vary. There are some manufacturers that produce what is known as a starter/grower feed and that can be given until the chicks are about 16 weeks of age.

Many people often wonder whether they can start their chicks on worms, garden bugs or even kitchen scraps. While it is perfectly fine to give these items to your chicks, remember that in order to be healthy, your babies need a perfect chick feed. The starter feed will contain everything they need in terms of nutrition. You just put it in a chick feeder and leave your worries aside!

How much should you feed your chicks? The answer is simple! As much as they want to eat! The good thing about chicks is that you do not have to worry about them overeating. They will eat as much as they need and no more, so go ahead and give them access to food around the clock.

Along with feed, you will also need to provide your baby chicks with what is known as grit. Unlike other animals, chickens do not have teeth to help them grind up their food. Instead, they pick up small rocks and pebbles and store them in an area known as the crop. When they eat, those stored rocks and pebbles help to grind up their food to enable the digestion process. To assist them, you need to provide some sand, canary gravel or parakeet gravel. You should be able to find this easily at a local pet store. Try sprinkling it directly in with their food.