Chicks are my favorite farm animal. Why? Because they are soooooo cute!!! If you want to get chicks you have to be prepared for them, so I will show you all how to raise chicks for beginners with this easy guide.

Chicks in grass for How to Raise Chicks for Beginners Easy Guide.

What Does a Baby Chick Need? How to Prep for Baby Chicks

Before getting chicks, you will need these startup supplies:

A brooder to keep your chicks in
Pine shavings
A heat lamp with a 250 watt bulb
A hanging thermometer
Chick starter feed
Two containers that will hold their feed and water

All these things you can purchase at Tractor Supply or a farming store near you, and don’t forget to check Facebook Marketplace! Chicks need a place to sleep, play, eat, and drink which is what a brooder is for. You can make it with this diy brooder post: How To Build A DIY Poultry Brooder Box For Chicks, buy it at your local farming store, or maybe even find a used one on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

What is the Best Thing to Put Your Baby Chick in? Setting Up Your Chick Brooder

You can set up the brooder anywhere in your house as long you have a lot of space in that area. I recommend not to put them in your kitchen, because they get messy!
Place some pine shavings on the floor of the brooder so the chicks will have a soft place to lay and play.
Put the food and water in their containers (found here) and place it on the pine shavings, but be careful with the water because if you spill it, the chicks might lay in it and if they get wet they will get sick! If you do spill it, throw away the wet pine shavings and wipe the water off and place new shaving in that spot.
Hook up the heat lamp (found here) to the brooder and move the bulb facing the inside of the brooder.
Finally, hang your thermometer (found here) inside and have it reach a temperature of 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and you are done!
But wait! Don’t forget your chicks! Place them in the brooder and watch them have fun in their new home!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

A child holding the chicks he's raised for Chicks in grass for How to Raise Chicks for Beginners Easy Guide.

What Can I Give My Baby Chicks to Keep Them Healthy?

Herbs are an excellent way to get your chicks healthy and help them stay healthy! If you want to grow or give herbs to your chicks, here is a list of what herbs are great for them:

For Health: Sage and Parsley

For Feather Growth: Mint and Dill

For Respiratory Health: Clover and Basil

For Immune Systems: Oregano and Cilantro

And High Protein: Tarragon and Marjoram

(find the seeds here)

Find a more detailed herb guide and a step-by-step DIY chicken herb garden here! Can Chickens Eat Parsley? (DIY Chicken Herb Garden)

Herbs for How to Raise Chicks for Beginners Easy Guide.

How to Clean Your Chicken Brooder?

Clean up the brooder if it is messy because if the chicks breath it in they will get sick and so will you. So when you clean, place the chicks in a big box and clip the heat lamp on the box and face it in towards the chicks. Then, throw away all the dirty pine shavings and put in new shavings. Your garden will love the shavings! Also, if the food or water has poop in it, clean it out with vinegar-water or soap. If you use soap, then wash it out thoroughly. Replace the containers with clean food and water.

How Often Do You Clean Your Chicken Brooder Box?

You are going to want to clean your brooder every couple of days. It really depends on the amount of chicks in it. If you only have a few, then you probably can get away with going a few days between cleanings. Some people like to follow a deep bedding method when they have a lot of chicks, so they don’t have to clean as often. This means that they will just add fresh pine shavings to the top layer everyday to keep it fresh and then empty and clean the entire brooder box after a few days.

How Do You Know If Your Chicks Are Hot or Cold?

If your chicks are huddled together, they are cold. Move the heat lamp a little closer to them. If they are trying to get away from the heat lamp as far as possible, they are hot. Move the heat lamp away a little from the chicks.

Learn about the health benefits of apples and apple cider vinegar here! Can Chickens Eat Apples? (DIY Fruit Macrame Basket)

Thank you for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it!

The Daily Marcus

And please check out my recent post “Things I Learned About the Amish Culture”

Need to build an inexpensive brooder fast? Check out How To Build A DIY Poultry Brooder Box For Chicks!