How to Raise Baby Chicks: A Week-by-Week Guide for New Keepers

You just picked up a box of tiny, peeping chicks and now you're wondering if you're doing everything right. Here's the short answer: baby chicks need warmth, clean water, starter feed, and a safe brooder. Get those four things right from day one, and you're already ahead of most first-timers. 

This guide walks you through everything from brooder setup to the moment your chicks are ready to move into the coop.

What Do Baby Chicks Need to Survive Their First Week?

Four things keep baby chicks alive and thriving in week one: heat, water, feed, and enough space to move around. Miss any one of them, and you'll know about it fast.

Heat

Your brooder needs to sit at 95°F (35°C) during the first week. One thing a lot of new keepers get wrong is placing the heat source directly in the center of the brooder. Put it to one side instead. That way, chicks can move toward the warmth when they need it and away from it when they don't. They're better at regulating their own comfort than you might think.

For heat sources, you've got two main options:

• Heat lamps: Affordable and widely available, but they carry a real fire risk if the lamp falls or the bulb gets too close to bedding. If you go this route, secure it properly and check it daily.

• Brooder plates: More expensive upfront, but they sit low to the ground and mimic the warmth of a mother hen. Far safer, and chicks tend to use them more naturally.

Once your chicks move into the coop, you'll need a different heating solution. A dedicated chicken coop heater is designed for that environment and keeps temperatures stable without the fire risks that come with hanging lamps. 

Water

Use a shallow chick waterer or a small-lipped dish. Deep containers are a drowning risk for day-old chicks. When you first introduce your chicks to the brooder, gently dip each one's beak into the water. It sounds fussy, but it genuinely helps them find the water source faster. Room-temperature water is fine. No need to warm it up.

Feed

Start with a chick starter feed with 20 to 22% protein. You'll see two types at the feed store:

• Medicated feed contains amprolium, which helps prevent coccidiosis (a common intestinal disease caused by a parasite). It's a good choice if your chicks haven't been vaccinated for coccidiosis.

• Unmedicated feed is the right call if your chicks came pre-vaccinated, since the vaccine and amprolium can work against each other.

For the first two weeks, skip the grit. Chick starter is soft enough that they don't need help digesting it yet.

Space

Overcrowding is one of the fastest ways to stress out a young flock. Give each chick at least 0.5 square feet of brooder floor space for the first four weeks. Once they hit week four and start getting more active, bump that up to 1 square foot per bird.

How Do You Set Up a Brooder for Baby Chicks?

A brooder is simply a warm, dry, contained space where your chicks live until they're old enough to handle the outside world. You don't need anything fancy. You need something that holds heat, keeps chicks in, and is easy to clean.

Choosing a Brooder Container

The most common options are:

• Cardboard boxes: Free and easy to find, but they absorb moisture and fall apart quickly. Fine for a very small batch of chicks for a short time.

• Plastic storage totes: Durable, easy to wipe down, and cheap. A 100-litre tote works well for up to six chicks in the first few weeks.

• Metal stock tanks: The preferred choice for larger batches. Sturdy, easy to clean, and good airflow when you leave the top open or add a wire mesh lid.

Whatever you use, make sure there's enough ventilation. A sealed box with no airflow gets humid fast, and that's bad for respiratory health.

Bedding Options

Pine shavings are the standard recommendation, and for good reason. They're absorbent, easy to replace, and comfortable underfoot. Lay them about 5cm deep and replace them every two to three days, or immediately if they get wet.

Two things to avoid:

• Newspaper: Way too slippery. Chicks that can't get traction on the floor can develop spraddle leg, a painful leg condition that's hard to reverse once it sets in.

• Cedar shavings: The aromatic oils are toxic to young birds. Cedar might smell nice to you, but it's genuinely harmful to chicks.

Positioning the Heat Source

Place your heat lamp or brooder plate at one end of the brooder, not the middle. The temperature gradient this creates is important. Chicks need the freedom to self-regulate, and a brooder that's the same temperature wall to wall doesn't give them that option. Watch how they behave in the first hour after setup. Their behavior will tell you everything (more on that in the next section).

What Does Chick Behavior Tell You About Brooder Temperature?

Your chicks are the most accurate thermometer in the room. You can have a probe thermometer in there, and that's useful, but watching how your chicks move and sound tells you far more about whether the temperature is actually right for them.

Check on your chicks within the first 30 minutes of setup and again before you go to bed that night. Temperature can shift more than you expect, especially overnight when room temperature drops.

How Do You Care for Baby Chicks Week by Week?

The week-by-week rhythm of raising chicks comes down to two things: dropping the temperature by 5°F each week and paying attention to what's changing with their feathers and behavior. By the time you hit week six, most of the hard work is done.

One thing worth knowing: if the temperature inside your home or garage already matches what the chicks need for that week, you can start reducing supplemental heat earlier. The table is a guide, not a strict rule. Let your chicks' behavior confirm when they're comfortable.

What Are the Most Common Health Issues in Baby Chicks?

Most health problems in baby chicks show up in the first two weeks, and most of them are very manageable if you catch them early. Here are the three you're most likely to encounter.

Pasty Butt

Pasty butt happens when droppings stick to the fluff around a chick's vent and dry into a hard plug, blocking waste from passing. It's most common in the first week, often triggered by shipping stress or temperature swings in the brooder.

Check every chick's vent daily during week one. If you spot a blockage:

• Soak a cotton ball in warm water and hold it gently against the area for 30 to 60 seconds to soften the crust

• Wipe away carefully without pulling at the down

• Pat the area dry with a soft cloth when you're done

Do not pick at it dry. You can tear the skin, which creates a much bigger problem. Keeping your brooder temperature stable and reducing handling stress in the first few days is the best prevention.

Failure to Thrive

Every now and then, one chick in a batch just doesn't keep up. It's smaller, less active, and not eating or drinking with the others. Separate it into its own small container with food and water within easy reach. Sometimes all it needs is a few days without competition. If there's no improvement after 24 hours, contact a vet.

Spraddle Leg

Spraddle leg is when a chick's legs splay outward and it can't stand properly. It's almost always caused by slippery flooring in the brooder. If you catch it early, you can correct it with a simple hobble: cut a small strip of medical tape or a bandage and loosely connect the two legs at a normal standing width. Most chicks recover within 48 to 72 hours. Switch to pine shavings immediately if you haven't already.

When Are Baby Chicks Ready to Move to the Coop?

Most chicks are ready to move to the coop between 6 and 8 weeks old. But age alone isn't the deciding factor. Two conditions need to be true at the same time before you make the move.

Full feathering: Your chicks should have a complete coat of feathers, not just wing feathers. Fully feathered birds can regulate their own body temperature without a heat source.

Outdoor night temperatures: The low temperature overnight should be consistently above 50°F (10°C). If you're heading into a cold snap, wait it out.

Before the big move, spend a few days letting your chicks spend time outdoors in a safe, enclosed space during the day. It helps them adjust to wind, sunlight, and the sounds of the yard before they're living in it full time. A chicken coop with run makes this transition much easier, since the attached run gives chicks a protected outdoor space to explore without being fully exposed.

If you're introducing your chicks to an existing flock rather than starting fresh, the process needs a bit more planning. Our guide on how to raise chickens covers the broader flock management steps that come after the brooder stage.

Conclusion

Raising baby chicks is genuinely one of the more rewarding parts of keeping a backyard flock. The first two weeks ask the most of you, and after that, it gets a lot easier as the chicks grow into themselves.

Here's what to keep front of mind:

• Keep the brooder at 95°F in week one and drop 5°F each week

• Use pine shavings, not newspaper, and keep bedding dry

• Watch your chicks' behavior, not just the thermometer

• Check for pasty butt every day in the first week

• Wait for full feathering and stable outdoor temps before moving to the coop

When your chicks are ready to graduate to their permanent home, make sure the space is actually big enough for a growing flock. Browse Aivituvin's range of large chicken coops designed with extra room, proper ventilation, and easy daily care in mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can baby chicks drink tap water?

A: Yes, tap water is fine for baby chicks in most areas. If your local tap water is heavily chlorinated, you can let it sit in an open container for an hour before filling the waterer, which allows most of the chlorine to dissipate. Avoid giving chicks well water without testing it first, since high mineral content can sometimes cause digestive issues in very young birds.

Q: Do baby chicks need light at night?

A: For the first week, a 24-hour light cycle is common, mainly because the heat lamp doubles as a light source. After that, chicks don't need continuous light. In fact, giving them a period of darkness each night helps establish a natural sleep rhythm. If you switch to a brooder plate for heat, you can run a normal light cycle from day one.

Q: Can I hold baby chicks right away?

A: Yes, and it's actually a good idea. Handling chicks gently and regularly from the first few days helps them get comfortable with humans, which makes flock management much easier later on. Keep handling sessions short in the first week, around two to three minutes per chick, and always wash your hands before and after. Avoid passing chicks between multiple people in the first few days when stress levels are already high from the new environment.

Q: How many chicks should I start with as a beginner?

A: Three to six chicks is a sensible starting point for most backyard keepers. Chickens are social animals and don't do well alone, so one is never a good idea. Starting with a small group lets you learn the routine without being overwhelmed, and you can always expand your flock once you're confident with the basics.