Raising baby chicks
If you decide to buy baby chicks instead of full grown chickens there are a number of tips and tricks to follow.
Keeping Chicks Warm
Baby chicks require care far greater than what is needed by full grown adults. For example, you need to keep baby chicks warm. Typically, you will want to keep them inside a warm space for the first four weeks that you have the baby chicks. After that time you can introduce them to their chicken coop. If you are keeping chicks in a box be sure to provide a heat source, usually a 250-watt light bulb. Make sure that the light bulb is properly mounted a least 18 inches above the chicks. Also make sure the is room in their coop to move away from the light. If you lay a bed of straw for the chicks, make sure that the straw does not touch the light. You are at risk of starting a fire if you place the light too low to the ground. Baby chicks need temperature that is between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit in their chick coop during the first week of life. After the first week, you can lower the temperature to 70 degrees F.
Watering baby chicks
- Bowl needs to be stable (not tip over) and on flat surface.
- The lip of the bowl needs to be low enough of the baby chicks to reach. A 1-inch height is perfect. (Imagine a aluminium pie plate.)
- Water must never run out.