How to Set Up a Brooder for Baby Chicks: A Complete Guide for New Chick Owners

Connie Sims

By Chad Sims, founder, Chesapeake Farm & Hatchery, Preston, MD

A good brooder is the most important thing you can set up before your chicks come home. It keeps them warm, safe and close to food and water until they have feathers. This guide covers everything you need.

What is a brooder?

A brooder is a warm, safe enclosure that does the job of a mother hen. Day-old chicks cannot keep themselves warm, so they need a heat source for their first several weeks, until they are fully feathered.

What you will need

  • Brooder container: a large plastic tote, stock tank or a purpose-built brooder like the RentACoop Red Barn brooders. Walls should be at least 12–16 inches high.
  • Heat source: a heat lamp. See our brooder heat lamp.
  • Thermometer: placed at chick level, not at the top of the box.
  • Bedding: pine shavings or hemp bedding. Use paper towels over the bedding for the first couple of days so chicks learn what food is. Avoid cedar shavings and newspaper.
  • Chick feeder and waterer: a shallow waterer so chicks cannot fall in. See our feeders and waterers.
  • Chick starter feed: a starter crumble from day one. See our organic chick feed.
  • Vitamins and electrolytes: helpful in the water for the first few days. See our supplements.

Setting up the brooder

  1. Put the brooder in a draft-free spot away from pets.
  2. Add 2–3 inches of bedding.
  3. Set up the heat source at one end, so chicks can move closer or farther away. Secure a heat lamp with two separate fasteners, and keep it well away from bedding and walls.
  4. Place the thermometer at chick level under the warm end.
  5. Fill the feeder and waterer and place them away from the hottest spot.
  6. Turn the heat on at least an hour before your chicks arrive.

Temperature guide

  • Week 1: 95°F (35°C) under the heat source
  • Week 2: 90°F (32°C)
  • Week 3: 85°F (29°C)
  • Each week after: lower the heat by 5°F until it matches room temperature, or about 65°F

Reading your chicks

  • Too cold: chicks huddle under the heat and peep loudly.
  • Too hot: chicks crowd the far side, away from the heat, and pant.
  • Just right: chicks are spread out, eating, drinking, exploring and napping.

The first few days

After travel, chicks may be sleepy. This is normal. Gently dip each chick's beak in the water when you put it in the brooder so it learns where to drink. Feed chick starter only, with no treats or scratch for the first week. Once they settle in, handle them gently for a few minutes each day to raise calm, friendly hens.

Keeping chicks healthy

  • Check for pasty butt: look daily for droppings stuck to the vent. Clean gently with warm water and dry the chick well.
  • Keep it clean: remove wet bedding daily, and wash the feeder and waterer often.
  • Give them room: start with about half a square foot per chick, and add space as they grow.

When to move chicks outside

Most chicks are ready to move to the coop at about 6–8 weeks, once they are fully feathered and nighttime temperatures stay above about 50°F. Need a coop or run? See our coops and runs.

Questions?

We are always happy to help. Email us at chicks@chesapeake-hatchery.com, read what to expect after getting your chicks home, or see our FAQs.

Chad Sims, founder

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