If you are wanting to raise baby chicks to have farm fresh eggs every single day, here is a step-by-step guide to raising baby chicks for beginners to help you get started!
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Research Local Laws
The first thing you need to do before anything else is research your local state laws about chicken keeping. This can be done through a quick google search, by visiting your cities website, or by calling animal control in your city.
Some cities require annual licenses or may have limitations on how many animals you can keep, especially if you live in the suburbs.
If you live in a neighborhood that has an HOA, you may have additional laws and regulations to follow. Before getting your hopes up about chickens, make sure to familiarize yourself with these laws and purchase any permits required.
Make a Budget and Plan When Raising Baby Chicks for Beginners
The next thing that I recommend doing is calculating if you can realistically afford chickens. There are upfront costs such as the chicks, supplies, and coop, and ongoing costs like bedding and feed.
Before committing to care for an animal, think about your initial expenses in addition to the ongoing monthly ones.
You can off-set the costs of chicken-keeping by selling your chicken’s eggs, but make sure you know what you’re getting yourself in to!
The cost of chicken keeping will vary depending on where you live, the type of coop you have, and how many chickens you want to keep.
Research Chicken Breeds
I used the book The Natural Chicken Keeping Guide by Amy K. Fewell to help me choose breeds. You need to determine if your goal with chicken keeping is to have them as pets, for their egg production, for their egg color, for meat, for breeding, or a combination of all of the above. Then, research which breeds best fit these categories.
We have a mixture of a variety of breeds in our flock. If you, like me, care about the color of eggs your chickens lay–here is a quick list of some popular breeds and what color eggs they lay.
Order Chicks or Get Them from the Store
There are a few ways to go about ordering chicks. One option is to purchase them from a local farm store or Tractor Supply. If you plan to raise your chicks in the spring, call in early February to reserve your breeds.
You can also order your chicks online and pick them up from the post office. This is not always cheaper because a lot of online websites require order minimums and have shipping costs, but if you want to get a head-start on chicken keeping or order earlier or later in the year, this can be a great option!
Here are a few online hatchery’s to consider ordering from:
Get Supplies for Raising Baby Chicks for Beginners
Before you pick up your chicks or chickens, it’s important to make sure that you have the supplies you will need. Here are some basic chicken keeping supplies you will nesed:
Brooder: A secure, enclosed space to keep the chicks warm, such as a large cardboard box, a plastic tote, or a pop-up brooder.
Heat Lamp or Heat Plate: Initially, chicks need supplemental heat to keep their temperatures regulated. A heat lamp with a red bulb or a heat plate designed for chicks is commonly used. Heat plates like this one are less of a fire risk.
Thermometer: To monitor the temperature inside the brooder and ensure it’s within the appropriate range for the chicks’ age. Get one here.
Bedding: Use pine shavings, straw, or a similar material as bedding. Avoid cedar shavings, as they can be toxic to chicks. (Often cheaper locally).
Feeder: A chick feeder that prevents them from scattering or contaminating their food.
Waterer: A chick waterer designed to prevent drowning and keep water clean.
Chick Starter Feed: Specialized chick starter feed meets their nutritional needs. Make sure it’s appropriate for their age. You can choose from medicated or non-medicated options.
Grit: Chicks need grit to help digest their food. It’s especially important if you’re feeding them treats or foraging material.
Electrolytes or a Homemade Version: This is helpful for boosting your chicks energy and immune system! You can also make your own.
Medications (if necessary): Consult with a veterinarian or poultry expert for any required medications or supplements. I personally had my chicks vaccinated for Mareks, but have raised them naturally and with organic food since. If raising chickens naturally, I highly recommend this book for more advice on where to start.
Basic Care for Raising Baby Chicks
Raising chicks requires careful attention to their basic needs to ensure their health and well-being. First, prepare a suitable brooder—a secure and warm enclosure with proper ventilation. Use a heat lamp or heat plate to maintain a temperature of around 95°F (35°C) initially, gradually reducing it by 5°F (about 3°C) each week until they are fully feathered and can regulate their temperature. Provide clean bedding, like wood shavings or straw, and ensure there’s enough space for the chicks to move.
Offer a chick feeder and waterer, keeping them clean and refreshed daily. Start with chick starter feed–you can choose between a medicated or unmedicated type. Once they are about two weeks old, introduce a few table scraps and some chick grit (to aid with digestion), which is specially formulated for their nutritional requirements. The chickens can go outside between 6-10 weeks old. The chickens need to be fully-feathered to go outside.
Let the chickens spend time outside during the day to acclimate to weather. If it is really cold, bring them back indoors at night. Also, make sure your chicks have fresh food and water daily.
This book highlights more specific instuctions, and I highly recommended it for new chicken keepers.
Things to Watch Out For: Raising Baby Chicks for Beginners
One of the main things to watch out for is that your chicks have fresh food and water daily. I wish that I would have purchased a hanging waterer because I had to refill mine multiple times a day due to the pine shavings!
You also need to make sure your chickens do not get pasty butt. I know, it’s a gross name, but it can be deadly for chicks. Pasty butt is when poop gets stuck on the chickens bottom and won’t come off. If this happens, get a clean damp cloth and wipe it off until clean–making sure not to get their feathers too wet.
You also need to make sure that your chicks are warm enough. You can use a thermometer to check the temperature as needed.
Later Care for Baby Chicks
Around 6-10 weeks, once your chicks are fully-feathered, move them outside to their coop. Make sure that you have plans for a coop before this time is up!
You’ll need to make sure you have a safe and secure coop. But, you don’t have to have the most beautiful coop! My coop is a patched-up version of the old one on our property. It’s not beautiful, but it is functional and didn’t cost us very much.
Try shopping secondhand for a coop if you want to save money. Just clean the coop well!
Another option is using reclaimed materials to build a coop. You can find a lot of chicken materials for affordable prices secondhand, but you need to make sure to sanitize them prior to use as well.
Baby chicks are a lot of work, but it is fun, rewarding work! It’s so fun to watch a baby chick grow into a fully-feathered bird in just a few weeks! This is also a fun, educational project to do with kids.
You can learn more about raising chicks and chickens in my beginner’s homesteading guide, The New Homesteader’s Handbook. Get it here.
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