How to Raise Healthy Chicks: A Step-by-Step Guide

Keeping chickens in a garden is a wonderful hobby that can be especially rewarding for families, providing an engaging way to introduce children to animal care. Raising healthy chicks requires careful attention to several key aspects such as sourcing, brooding, feeding, and health maintenance to ensure your birds thrive as they grow.

1. Choosing and Buying Day-Old Chicks

A good start is essential. Buying day-old chicks from reputable breeders or commercial hatcheries is often better than incubating eggs yourself, as the chicks have usually been sexed to help you manage males and females accordingly. It is always best to source chicks through personal recommendations or by visiting breeders in person to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

Ask if the chicks have been vaccinated against common diseases such as Marek’s Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, or salmonellosis. Healthy chicks will appear active with bright, shiny eyes. Remember to find chickens for sale from trusted sources to promote ethical ownership.

2. Preparing a Safe and Comfortable Brooder

The brooder acts as a nursery for your chicks. For a small number, a clean cardboard box or a brooder tray indoors can work well. Each chick needs about 0.25m² initially, increasing space as they grow. Protect the brooder from predators such as rats and foxes with secure sides high enough to block draughts and prevent escapes.

Prepare the brooder a few days in advance to stabilise the temperature and bedding, which should be dry, dust-free, and absorbent—wood shavings about two inches deep work well. A layer of kitchen paper on top during the first week can prevent chicks from ingesting shavings accidentally.

3. Providing Correct Heating in the Brooder

Since young chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature, warmth must be provided. An infra-red heat lamp hung at one end of the brooder simulates the mother hen's warmth effectively. Start with temperatures at chick level around 32-33°C in the first week, then reduce by 3°C weekly. After six weeks, heat may be unnecessary if night temperatures remain above 16°C. Chicks’ behaviour—bunching under heat if cold or spreading away if hot—gives useful cues to adjust heating.

4. Feeding and Watering Your Chicks Properly

Feed chicks a commercial chick crumb or starter feed formulated with high protein for the first eight weeks before transitioning gradually to grower feed and later to layers mash from around 16 weeks. Provide grit freely but separately—as this aids digestion without mixing it into food.

Use shallow water containers or chick-specific red feeders to attract their attention. Ensure water containers aren’t deep enough to risk drowning. It's important to have sufficient feeders and drinkers to allow all chicks to eat simultaneously, preventing weaker chicks being overshadowed in the pecking order.

On arrival, show each chick where food and water are by gently dipping their beaks into water and sprinkling crumbs in it to encourage drinking—without this critical step, chicks can perish within days due to dehydration.

5. Maintaining Cleanliness and Preventing Disease

Regularly clean and disinfect food and water containers, as young chicks are vulnerable to many infections. Dirty, damp bedding promotes diseases such as coccidiosis and aspergillosis. Maintaining a dry, clean environment is vital. You may choose a “deep litter” system—adding fresh bedding on top daily—or complete changes every few days, but either way cleanliness is critical.

6. Teaching Chicks to Perch

Introducing perches at about four weeks of age helps chicks develop natural behaviours and prepares them for adult housing. Place a low perch, about 5cm off the ground, away from heat sources to ensure comfort.

7. Transitioning to Outdoor and Adult Housing

Once chicks are feathered around eight weeks old, they are ready to move outdoors to a secure coop. Early supervised short periods outside, protected from predators and with shelter from bad weather, help them learn to forage and dust-bathe naturally. Choose a predator-proof coop that suits your space and budget to keep your birds safe and comfortable as they grow.

Conclusion

Raising chicks successfully requires dedication, attention, and care, but the rewards are immense. Healthy, happy hens will bond with you, follow your routine, and supply your garden with fresh eggs. Following these practical steps ensures your chicks grow strong and well-adjusted in a safe and nurturing environment.