Bringing home day-old chicks is exciting, but the first few weeks are the most fragile window of their whole life. A well-set-up brooder is the difference between a thriving batch of chicks and a stressful week of problems. Here's everything you need before they arrive.
1. A Draft-Free Brooder Box
Chicks can't regulate their own body temperature yet, so drafts are dangerous even if the room feels warm to you. A solid-sided metal brooder with a built-in heat source keeps things contained and consistent:
🐤 Shop Producer's Pride Metal Brooder with Heater
2. A Safe Heat Source
Radiant heat plates are safer than bulb-style lamps because chicks can't get burned touching them and there's no glass to shatter. They also use far less electricity:
🐤 Shop Brinsea EcoGlow Safety 600 Chick Brooder
3. The Right Feeder and Waterer
Chick-sized feeders and waterers matter — adult-sized equipment lets chicks fall in and drown, or waste feed by scratching it everywhere. A set sized for day-old chicks with narrow drinking ports solves both problems:
🐤 Shop RentACoop Chick 2 Chicken Feeder Waterer Set
4. Medicated Starter Feed
Unless your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery, a medicated starter feed gives them low-level protection against coccidiosis from day one:
🐤 Shop Manna Pro Medicated Chick Starter, 5 lb
5. The Temperature Schedule
Chicks need roughly 95°F under the heat source for week one, dropping about 5°F per week until they're fully feathered around week 6. Watch their behavior, not just the thermometer: piled-up, peeping chicks are cold; panting chicks spread far from the heat source are too hot.
6. Bedding
Pine shavings are the standard choice — absorbent, low-dust, and easy to spot-clean. Avoid cedar (the oils are respiratory irritants) and skip newspaper alone (too slippery, can cause leg problems in young chicks).
Want the exact day-by-day schedule for the first 30 days — feeding amounts, temperature drops, health checks, and milestones? Our 30-Day Chick Care Planner & Tracker lays it all out so you're never guessing.
Affiliate disclosure: The Lovely Hen may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through the links above, at no extra cost to you. This post is for general information and isn't a substitute for veterinary advice.
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