Essential First Day Instructions for Healthy Chicks
📅 ARRIVAL DATE - Be Prepared!
Before your chicks arrive, ensure you're ready:
Have flexible time available to pick up birds from the post office
Plan to be home the first day AND night to monitor them
Remember: arrivals may be delayed unexpectedly
Critical Setup:
Your brooder area must be completely set up with the heating source tested BEFORE the chicks arrive. They need to go straight into the brooder immediately.
REFRAIN from handling or playing with chicks for the first 24 hours!
💧 FIRST DAY WATER - Critical!
Water Temperature: 98°F (Very Warm)
Why warm water? Newly arrived chicks are small with little body weight. Cool water can rapidly decrease their body temperature, causing shock or illness.
Initial Water Setup:
Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar into 1 quart of 98°F water and shake well.
Use this sugar water for the FIRST 4 HOURS only
Then switch to regular very warm water (no sugar)
This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!
🐥 Teaching Chicks to Drink
Take each chick ONE AT A TIME:
Gently hold the chick's head with your fingers
Do a quick dip of the chick's beak into the warm water
Release the chick immediately
A taste of water right away helps them find more water soon. Your chicks will be very thirsty when they arrive!
Water Schedule:
Day 1: Very warm (98°F)
Days 2-3: Warm water
Day 3+: Room temperature
🔥 HEATING INSTRUCTIONS
Equipment Needed:
BRAND NEW bulbs only
Drop light with reflector shield
75, 100, or 150 watt bulb
Thermometer at floor level
Setup Guidelines:
Ratio: One brooder lamp per 25 chicks
Height: Start with bulb bottom 18 inches above floor
Safety: Hang securely to prevent falls, burns, or injuries
Use a thermometer at FLOOR LEVEL under the light to be accurate!
🌡️ Temperature Schedule
Days 3-7: 95°F at floor level
Weekly Reduction: Reduce by 5°F per week until reaching 70-75°F
⚠️ Important Exceptions:
Bantams & small birds: May need slightly HIGHER temperatures
Jumbo Cornish Cross: May need slightly LOWER temperatures (they grow faster and overheat quickly)
Adjustment Tips:
Raise or lower the reflector to adjust temperature, or change bulb wattage. Ensure chicks have plenty of room to walk away from heat.
💡 Lighting Best Practices
Bulb Color Options:
Regular white bulbs work fine
Red bulbs may work better to reduce feather picking
After Two Weeks:
Switch to a heat source OTHER than light bulbs, such as an infrared hanging heater.
Why? Constant bright light from bulbs can stress birds and cause health issues and picking behaviors.
Watch for piling up during heat source transitions!
🌾 FEED - First Day Instructions
Feed Type: Chick starter/grower feed
Day 1 Feeding Method:
Sprinkle feed on paper towels - chicks find it easier this way at the start. Do this for the first day only.
After Day 1:
Put feed in troughs low enough for chicks to see and reach easily
Use 1 foot of trough feeder OR 1 round feeder per 25 chicks
NEVER let the chicks run out of feed!
🥚 Feed Enhancement Tips
Excellent Starter Tip:
Add crumbled boiled egg yolk on top of the feed. This gets chicks off to a good start and encourages them to eat feed right away.
⚠️ Important: Remove all uneaten boiled eggs after 2-4 hours!
About Grit:
Do NOT add grit - chick starter/grower feed is formulated with everything chicks need to digest food.
Feeding Duration:
Chicks should stay on full feed ration of chick starter/grower until they lay their first egg.
⚠️ Jumbo Cornish Cross Exception
Special Feeding Instructions
Starting at Day 14:
Limit feed intake by taking the feed away at night.
Why This Matters:
This helps slow the growth of the bird just enough to allow the skeletal structure to catch up with their fast muscular development.
Jumbo Cornish Cross grow exceptionally fast and have unique care requirements to prevent health issues.
💦 Watering Equipment & Guidelines
Equipment: Start with 1-gallon low profile chick waterer for each 25-50 chicks
First Day Water Rules:
Do NOT medicate water with anything on the first day
First water: Very warm at 98°F
Next 2 days: Warm water
By day 3: Room temperature is fine
NEVER let your chicks run out of water!
⚠️ Most Common Cause of Chick Loss
Most baby chick loss is caused by the chick NOT starting to eat or drink due to being TOO COLD to move.
Prevention Checklist:
✓ Proper brooder temperature (95°F days 3-7)
✓ Teach each chick to drink immediately
✓ Use warm water (98°F) on arrival
✓ Make feed easily accessible
✓ Monitor chicks closely first 24-48 hours
🚨 IF CHICKS HAD A HARD TRIP
Signs of stress: Lethargic, weak, or unresponsive chicks
Emergency Revival Method
INSTEAD of standard feed and water:
Mix 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 quart of 100°F water, shake well
Add a little of this water mixture to small amount of feed
Stir and sprinkle around the chicks
Mix only right before feeding - small amounts at a time
As they eat it, mix more and sprinkle to get their attention
⚠️ Hard Trip Protocol - Critical Warning
NEVER leave the sugar water feed mixture for more than a couple of hours - it will SOUR and cause illness!
Best Practices:
Mix fresh batches frequently
Only make small amounts at a time
Remove and replace every 1-2 hours
Watch chicks closely for improvement
Once eating well, transition to standard care
📋 Quick Reference Summary
Day 1 Essentials:
✓ Brooder ready & tested before arrival
✓ Water at 98°F with 1 tsp sugar per quart (first 4 hours)
✓ Dip each chick's beak in water
✓ Temperature 95°F at floor (days 3-7)
✓ Sprinkle feed on paper towels
✓ No handling for 24 hours
✓ Monitor closely day and night
Success = Proper Heat + Water + Feed + Monitoring
🐣🐥🐤
Welcome to Your New Flock!
Follow these guidelines carefully for healthy, thriving chicks.
Remember the Three Extremely Important Points:
1. Warm water (98°F) with sugar for first 4 hours
2. Proper temperature with thermometer at floor level