Baby Chick Checklist
What do I need to bring my chicks home?
Baby chicks have several basic needs to grow up into healthy, happy birds! Full-sized chicken products can be dangerous to small chicks, so you'll need a few special chick-sized items to help get them started. Before you bring them home, it is best to have their brooder area all set up and warm so that their transition is easy and comfortable. Here's what you'll need:
Chicks need a heat source for the first few weeks, and a clamp lamp with a heat bulb is a cost-effective way to provide the warmth they need. Choose a heat lamp with a wire protector over the front, and keep it mounted 2 to 3 feet off the ground. Set up the lamp at one end of the brooder, so they can easily move to a cooler area if things get a little too hot!
Baby chicks need proper footing for their legs to develop, so it is important to have bedding down on the floor of your brooder so that they aren't slipping around. Pine shavings work extremely well for this, as well as absorption and smell reduction of chick messes. They also provide a soft bed! Just make sure you don't get cedar shavings – the natural oils in those are toxic to little baby chicks.
Small chicks struggle eating and drinking from full-sized feeders and waterers. So they need chick-sized ones! Choose a small waterer and feeder, and be sure to position them on the opposite side of the brooder from the heat lamp.
All brands of chick starter feed that CountryMax carries are easily digestible, and specifically designed to help your chicks grow. You can choose a non-medicated version, or a medicated one that includes amprolium to help prevent your chicks from coccidiosis.
Chickens don't chew their food – they naturally ingest small rocks that break down food in their gizzard. As your babies grow and move beyond the brooder, chick grit supports free range feeding habits of backyard chicks! Our bestselling Country Heritage brand comes in chick-sized pieces of insoluble crushed granite specifically for young, developing chicks.
Just like babies (and athletes), chicks benefit from electrolytes in the first few days of life. The boost helps their tiny systems handle the shock and exhaustion of travel, new environments and simply growing. Having some ready in their waterer as soon as you bring them home is a great way to help with the transition.
Starting around weeks 3 to 4, your chicks will develop feathers and be able to “fly” up out of their brooder. Consider putting chicken wire or another breathable top on it to keep them safe and contained. Soon they’ll be ready to move outside to their permanent home!
