If you’re wanting information and are new to the chicken keeping hobby, then you’re at the right place! Keep reading this guide so that you will be fully prepared for your journey. This guide will help prepare yourself for raising your baby chicks to be happy and healthy, while also helping you be prepared for and help avoid any unforeseen circumstances; and be ready for if they occur.

Raising baby chicks can be a rewarding experience. This guide will provide an in-depth overview of the entire chick raising process, from day 1 to 18 weeks, and will encompass everything from what to feed your chicks to how to house them and anything in between. This beginner’s guide will help to prepare you throughout your journey in making sure your baby chicks will become great adults that provide you years of joy to your family.

Quick FAQ (for those in a hurry)

Do my chicks require special feed? YES! Chick Starter and Grower is the only thing you should feed your chicks. Anything else can be detrimental to their health.

What temperature should my chicks be? Through week 1, the brooder should be 95 Degrees. Each week this can be lowered by 5 degrees until room temperature is attained.

There are a few highly important things to keep in mind when raising baby chicks. First, baby chicks MUST be able to drink water freely 24/7 for the first 18 weeks of life (and permanently, more on that in the Raising Chickens Guide. Always leave your chickens with access to fresh water). Secondly, baby chicks MUST be fed the correct type of feed and ALWAYS have access freely to this food during the first 20 weeks of the chick’s life, 24/7. There should be no exceptions to this rule, if 100% survivability is being sought after. (We do realize it isn’t always realistic to achieve 100% survival rate; however, we believe keepers should be striving to achieve this rate, as it is possible with exceptional care).  Failure to provide the correct Starter and Grower feed to your chicks can lead to abnormalities, and rarely can even be fatal. Baby chicks cannot have lay pellets, excess calcium, or any other scratch grain until 18 weeks. The correct feed for raising baby chicks is any “Starter and Grower” feed with a protein of 18-22%. Thirdly, chicks MUST have access freely to chick grit after 2 weeks.

Raising baby chicks can be a rewarding experience. This guide will provide an in-depth overview of the entire chick raising process, from day 1 to 18 weeks, and will encompass everything from what to feed your chicks to how to house them and anything in between. This beginner’s guide will help to prepare you throughout your journey in making sure your baby chicks will become great adults that provide you years of joy to your family.

After 18 weeks, your chickens will now go on to become full grown adults, with hens laying regularly. Click here for the “Raising Chickens” guide on flock maintenance, feeding, and other guidance.