Brooding chicks is infinitely easier than incubating eggs, but there is
still much more to it than just plopping them in a coop. They need a
toasty-warm mini-coop—a brooder—to nurture them into
toddlerhood. If they had a mother of their own, the chicks would
crowd under her feathers at night for warmth, and she would show
them how to forage and keep them safe by pecking viciously at any
predator that came lurking. There are many ways to build a
brooder, but they all have to fulfill the basic needs of an orphan
chick for the first six weeks of its life: food, water, warmth and
protection.
Step 1 — Build a Container
Build is a relative term here. Many people raise chicks in a
cardboard box. Play pens, kiddie pools, rabbit hutches, aquariums,
plastic totes and other items likely to be found in a garage, barn or
basement will suffice. You can build a custom chick mansion with
private bedrooms for each one if you want, but the general rule of
thumb is to provide at least one square foot of space per chick. For
the first few weeks a small fraction of that space is fine, so one
option is to start small and add on later.
The container needs to be at least 12 inches tall for chicks in weeks
one to three, but by the time they are six weeks old the walls should
be 24 inches high to keep them from hopping out. Or, you can add a
lid. A lid is a necessity if there are pets or other creatures that may
pose a threat to your baby chicks. Chicks need fresh air, however,
so the lid needs to be completely breathable—hardware cloth or
window screen stapled to a wooden frame is an easy way to go.
The brooder needs to be out of the elements so the chicks are warm,
dry and safe from nighttime predators. A barn, garage or your
living room are all fine options. You can also place the brooder
inside the chicks’ future home—the coop.
Step 2 — Outfit the Brooder
Pine shavings are the bedding of choice for baby chicks. The
essential oils in cedar shavings can cause respiratory distress and
newspaper is hard for them to walk on when they’re little.
Spread an inch or two of shavings on the floor of the brooder and
set up a watering and feeding station at one end. There are various
DIY options for chick waterers and feeders, but the basic models
only cost a few bucks at the feed store. Nipple-style waterers are
highly recommended because the chicks can’t foul them with feces—
good hygiene is critical to keeping chicks healthy.
On the other end of the brooder, set up a heat lamp. If you have
your chicks in the living room where it’s 18 degrees C at night, a 100-
watt incandescent bulb in a clamp-on utility light (the kind with a
metal reflector) will provide enough warmth. If they’re in a barn,
garage or another location that gets chilly, a heat lamp is in order.
These special bulbs can be found at feed stores or ordered online.
The height of the bulb may need to be adjusted anywhere from 12
to 36 inches above the bottom of the brooder to maintain the
optimal temperature for the chicks. One easy way to accomplish this
is to hang the light fixture by a chain attached to a hook above the
brooder.
If hot bulbs in close proximity to a cardboard box filled with wood
shavings and baby chicks makes you nervous (it definitely qualifies
as a fire hazard), consider an EcoGlow brooder heater, which are
also designed to save energy.
Step 3 — Care for Your Chicks
Chicks need to be at a constant temperature of around 35 degrees C
for the first week of their life. Mail-order chicks are almost always
less than 48 hours old; if you get your chicks at a feed store, ask
how old they are before bringing them home. Adjust the height of
the bulb and use a thermometer to measure the temperature at the
bottom of the brooder to get it into the proper range before the
chicks arrive.
Dip the beak of each chick into the water source as you put it in the
brooder so it knows where to go when it’s thirsty.
The chicks will tell you if they are too hot or too cold: if they are
huddled on top of each other directly under the bulb, move the bulb
closer to warm them up; if they are pushing against the opposite
wall of the brooder away from the bulb, it’s way too hot. Chicks
milling about throughout the brooder is a good sign that the
temperature is just right.
Lower the temperature of the brooder by about 5 degrees each
week. As the chicks’ feathers fill in, they are more tolerant of cold,
but they are also prone to overheating, so it’s important to keep the
temperature just right.
Food and water should be available at all times. Chicks need a
special ‘ starter feed ’ during their time in the brooder. Starter feed
has a crumbly texture, but gets clumpy when moist. If this occurs,
clean out the feed tray and add fresh food to avoid mold
developing.
It’s a good idea to clean out the food tray every few days anyway
because the chicks can’t reach every bit and it will start to get stale.
Waterers should be cleaned out daily (unless you’re using nipple
waterers, which don’t require cleaning), and the bedding should be
refreshed every other day by scooping out the top layer and adding
shavings.
Once the chicks are six weeks old, their feathers should be filled out
and they are capable of tolerating cool nighttime temperatures—so
it’s time to transfer them to the coop. To smooth the transition,
toasty-warm mini-coop—a brooder—to nurture them into
toddlerhood. If they had a mother of their own, the chicks would
crowd under her feathers at night for warmth, and she would show
them how to forage and keep them safe by pecking viciously at any
predator that came lurking. There are many ways to build a
brooder, but they all have to fulfill the basic needs of an orphan
chick for the first six weeks of its life: food, water, warmth and
protection.
Step 1 — Build a Container
Build is a relative term here. Many people raise chicks in a
cardboard box. Play pens, kiddie pools, rabbit hutches, aquariums,
plastic totes and other items likely to be found in a garage, barn or
basement will suffice. You can build a custom chick mansion with
private bedrooms for each one if you want, but the general rule of
thumb is to provide at least one square foot of space per chick. For
the first few weeks a small fraction of that space is fine, so one
option is to start small and add on later.
The container needs to be at least 12 inches tall for chicks in weeks
one to three, but by the time they are six weeks old the walls should
be 24 inches high to keep them from hopping out. Or, you can add a
lid. A lid is a necessity if there are pets or other creatures that may
pose a threat to your baby chicks. Chicks need fresh air, however,
so the lid needs to be completely breathable—hardware cloth or
window screen stapled to a wooden frame is an easy way to go.
The brooder needs to be out of the elements so the chicks are warm,
dry and safe from nighttime predators. A barn, garage or your
living room are all fine options. You can also place the brooder
inside the chicks’ future home—the coop.
Step 2 — Outfit the Brooder
Pine shavings are the bedding of choice for baby chicks. The
essential oils in cedar shavings can cause respiratory distress and
newspaper is hard for them to walk on when they’re little.
Spread an inch or two of shavings on the floor of the brooder and
set up a watering and feeding station at one end. There are various
DIY options for chick waterers and feeders, but the basic models
only cost a few bucks at the feed store. Nipple-style waterers are
highly recommended because the chicks can’t foul them with feces—
good hygiene is critical to keeping chicks healthy.
On the other end of the brooder, set up a heat lamp. If you have
your chicks in the living room where it’s 18 degrees C at night, a 100-
watt incandescent bulb in a clamp-on utility light (the kind with a
metal reflector) will provide enough warmth. If they’re in a barn,
garage or another location that gets chilly, a heat lamp is in order.
These special bulbs can be found at feed stores or ordered online.
The height of the bulb may need to be adjusted anywhere from 12
to 36 inches above the bottom of the brooder to maintain the
optimal temperature for the chicks. One easy way to accomplish this
is to hang the light fixture by a chain attached to a hook above the
brooder.
If hot bulbs in close proximity to a cardboard box filled with wood
shavings and baby chicks makes you nervous (it definitely qualifies
as a fire hazard), consider an EcoGlow brooder heater, which are
also designed to save energy.
Step 3 — Care for Your Chicks
Chicks need to be at a constant temperature of around 35 degrees C
for the first week of their life. Mail-order chicks are almost always
less than 48 hours old; if you get your chicks at a feed store, ask
how old they are before bringing them home. Adjust the height of
the bulb and use a thermometer to measure the temperature at the
bottom of the brooder to get it into the proper range before the
chicks arrive.
Dip the beak of each chick into the water source as you put it in the
brooder so it knows where to go when it’s thirsty.
The chicks will tell you if they are too hot or too cold: if they are
huddled on top of each other directly under the bulb, move the bulb
closer to warm them up; if they are pushing against the opposite
wall of the brooder away from the bulb, it’s way too hot. Chicks
milling about throughout the brooder is a good sign that the
temperature is just right.
Lower the temperature of the brooder by about 5 degrees each
week. As the chicks’ feathers fill in, they are more tolerant of cold,
but they are also prone to overheating, so it’s important to keep the
temperature just right.
Food and water should be available at all times. Chicks need a
special ‘ starter feed ’ during their time in the brooder. Starter feed
has a crumbly texture, but gets clumpy when moist. If this occurs,
clean out the feed tray and add fresh food to avoid mold
developing.
It’s a good idea to clean out the food tray every few days anyway
because the chicks can’t reach every bit and it will start to get stale.
Waterers should be cleaned out daily (unless you’re using nipple
waterers, which don’t require cleaning), and the bedding should be
refreshed every other day by scooping out the top layer and adding
shavings.
Once the chicks are six weeks old, their feathers should be filled out
and they are capable of tolerating cool nighttime temperatures—so
it’s time to transfer them to the coop. To smooth the transition,
move the heat source, feeder and waterer into the coop for the first
few days, and set up an adult-size feeder and waterer.
Read about the coop
few days, and set up an adult-size feeder and waterer.
Read about the coop
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