Basic Care

Keep temperatures at 95 degrees for the first week, decrease by 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered. 

Make sure there is room for chicks to get out of the heat.

Provide probiotics, vitamins, and electrolytes in their drinking water to establish a healthy digestive system.

Keep shallow food and water dishes clean and filled.

Make sure other pets and well-meaning children cannot access and hurt the chicks.

Chicks are very fragile and should be held gently with adult supervision.

Wash your hands before and after handling the chicks.

If you notice chicks fighting to be under the heat lamp, they are too cold and lowering the heat lamp can fix this. If the chicks are far away from the heat lamp and panting, they are too hot, simply raise the heat lamp.

Chicks can go outside when they are fully feathered, depending on outside temperatures.

Chicks

Broiler chicks (for meat) can be started and kept on Broiler Grower Feed until they are butchered.

Pullet chicks (for laying) should be on Chick Starter until they are 4-6 weeks old. After that they should be switched to Pullet Grower until they start laying, and then switched to Layer.

ducks and geese

Since your babies haven’t had contact with the mother, they don’t have her protective oils and aren’t waterproof. So getting too wet will result in getting sick.

Should be on Duck and Goose Starter until they are 8 weeks old then switched to Duck and Goose Maintenance.

Turkeys

Should be on Turkey Starter until they are 8 weeks old then switched to Turkey Grower.