Chick Care From Arrival to Maturity

Before Your Chicks Arrive

Before your chicks arrive, there are several things to do before their arrival. First, you need to acquire a brooder. This needs to have solid sides for two reasons: first, to prevent drafts and second, to keep your chicks contained. If you are using a brooder that you have used before, be sure to scrub it down with a 10% bleach solution and do this so it has time to dry out before you put new chicks in it. Next think about the amount of space that will be required as they grow. Your Cornish Cross meat birds will experience a growth spurt in about a week or so. If you do not have adequate space to accommodate this, you will have smaller birds.

Now that the brooder has been acquired of you should obtain a good quality feed to give them a nutritional start to their life. We start ours on a certified organic 20% chick starter. This is a good start for a layer flock as well as a meat bird flock. For your layers we recommend keeping them on a 20% ration for at least 6 weeks. For your Cornish Cross broilers, we recommend 2 weeks and for your Red Ranger Meat birds we recommend 6 weeks. After the appropriate time period you will move them to a 18% ration. Make sure your feed is stored in a cool dry place. You can find weekly feed requirements in the learning section at www.rcrorganicfeedstore.com. 

The size and number of the waterers and feeders will depend on how many chicks you are raising. The recommended feeding/waterer space to allow chicks to have adequate room to eat and drink is as follows: 1 1/2" - 2" per bird upon arrival, then 2 1/2" per bird through week 4: weeks 4-8 should allow 3 1/2" per bird: 8-12 weeks should allow 6" per bird.

Now it is time to prepare your brooder for the chick’s arrival. Make sure your heat lamps and waters are secured in the brooder. Remember you will need to set up the brooder 24-48 hours before your chicks arrive. Make sure you locate your brooder so there is no breeze on your chicks. If your chicks are arriving by mail, it is critical that their brooder is warm. The floor of the brooder should be warm and the temperature in the brooder should be 100 - 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

After your brooder has reached the 100 to 105 degree Fahrenheit and before your chicks arrive spread the floor of the brooder with 3 inches of woodchips and place a thermometer under the heat lamp to confirm you have the proper temperature. I don’t recommend using newspaper shipping paper on the floor of the brooder as it is too slippery for newborn chicks and can lead to a condition called splayed leg also known as spraddle-leg. This condition means the chick will not be able to stand. Special Note: don't use saw dust, sand, or cat litter as bedding material. It retains ammonia and the dust can lead to respiratory issues. Additionally, do not use Cedar bedding as the plicatic acid damages the respiratory system of the bird. New Paragraph