The truth of the matter, is I hardly know of any homestead that is not raising chickens. After having built diy wood pallet chicken coops, diy chick brooders and diy baby chick playground in the past. I thought today we should take some time out and look at how to get started with baby chicks.
Generally chickens are easy to take care of, and so are baby chicks they just need a little more extra care. It does not matter if you purchase your chicks or hatch your own, the process is the same for all of them. Just make sure you gather or have access to everything they need, as listed below.
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Here’s What You’ll Need:
- baby chicks
- chick brooder
- heat lamp
- water
- chick starter feed
- hay or straw
When you get your chicks place them in a brooder, for protection from predators as well as the elements. You can turn a simple rubbermaid tote, into a brooder, if you do not have one. Line the bottom of the tote with straw or hay and make sure you always have some chick starter feed plus fresh clean water.
You must also install a heat lamp to provide much needed heat for your baby chicks. It is recommended that you start your lamp at between 90 to 95 degrees F in their first week. Then for the next four to five weeks, you should reduce the heat by five degrees each week. Keep an eye out for any strange behaviour too.
You can get more information on the Flip Flop Barnyard blog, here…
How To Get Started With Baby Chicks
You can watch the video below on how to make a brooder and raise baby chicks…
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