If you read my Instagram post last week then you may have heard that we have become the caregivers of 21 little chicks!
If you’ve been around for longer, youd know that our property was initially supposed to come with 30 chickens and a turkey! That didn’t quite work out due to timing but we did wind up with an empty chicken coop. We have been talking about filling the coop with egg layers for a while now and determined that the best route for us would be to purchase them as chicks in the Fall and by Spring, they would be ready to lay eggs.
The agreed upon plan between my husband and I was that I should purchase 10 Red Island Reds but through a series of fortunate events and my children’s desperate pleas for more, the kind saleslady gave us an amazing discount on 11 little Easter Egger chicks as well and I couldn’t reasonably say no.
The problem… I had only prepared for 10!
The initial brooder I made was only sufficient for 10 chicks, 21 would be to crowded. I jumped into action to prepare for the extra chicks.
The Brooder
I had envisioned a fancy wooden brooder but we needed something quick, easy and did I mention that we had 11 extra chicks to account for?! Thankfully I had a bunch of large empty Sterilite bins in the donation pile from our move, a roll of chicken wire and a really good hand drill.
I started this project by cutting out the most inner part of the storage tote’s lid. The second thing I did was staple chicken wire to the lid to cover where I cut. This allows airflow and stops the chicks from accidentally escaping. That was it!
You can find more formal tutorials for brooders like this on Pinterest.
Heat Lamp
No good brooder is complete without a method to keep the chicks warm. In the wild, this responsibility falls to the mama but when you bring home baby chicks from the feed store, YOU are the mama. Chicks will need a heat lamp until they are fully feathered.
There are many different heat lamps or coop heating styles. We went with a basic hanging heat lamp that can also clip to the side of the brooder.
You’ll want to make sure that you purchase a red bulb for it. Bright white light all day will stress baby chicks out whereas infrared bulbs are calming to them and will prevent them from acting out due to stress.
Make sure the heat lamp is very secure. You do not want it to fall and possibly start a fire!
Fresh Food and Water
All animals need access to fresh water and food. You will want to pick up a good quality chick starter. Chick starter is a feed that is higher in protein and all the good vitamins and minerals that chicks need to get a good start in life. Chicks will need this feed for the first 8 to 10 weeks of their life. You hear a lot of homesteaders talk about chick food in percentages and it may get overwhelming but if you are ever in doubt, the information on the back of the feed bag you choose will help.
Don’t forget to grab a feeder too!
Chicks need access to water 24/7! For the first week, I like to add an electrolyte supplement into their morning water. Chicks can easily become stressed out by all the transport in their early life so to give them the best chance, I like to make sure that they are as hydrated as possible.
Electrolytes are good to keep on hand even for older chickens in the event of injury or illness.
I like to check on my chickens’ food and water twice each day. Accidents can happen and feeders and drinkers are prone to being knocked over in the brooder.
Grit and Sand
When chickens eat, the food goes into an organ called a gizzard. The gizzard is a pocket filled with little stones and pebbles that help to grind the food before it travels to their stomachs, kind of like the job our teeth provide! In order for chickens to get those stones into their gizzard, they must swallow them.
You can purchase chick grit from the feed store or you can simply add some sandy soil in a dish to your brooder. I like to sprinkle the grit in the shavings as well as some chick starter crumble to encourage them to practice pecking and scratching.
If you add it in a bowl, your chicks may even practice taking dust baths!
How long should chicks be inside the brooder?
Young chicks should stay in the brooder until they have developed their juvenile feathers. This usually happens around 4-6 weeks of age. Around 4 weeks old, your chicks may begin to practice flying out of the brooder and roosting on the rim of the container!
Once your chicks are fully feathered, they can withstand colder temperatures but you will want to acclimate them to the outside climate slowly. If the outdoor temperature is too cold, your young chickens will huddle together for warmth. If you see them huddling for very long periods of time, that is your cue that they are too cold and it’s time to herd them back into the coop.
How you plan to keep and raise your chicks next is up to you! There are many different ways to keep chickens as long as they are safe from weather, predators and have access to their basic needs like fresh water and feed.
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