It is recommended to start the brooder at a temperature of 93F. Use a thermometer periodically to test the temperature within the brooder at multiple spots. The 93F is just a recommendation and the chicks will actually provide the best temperature monitoring if you watch them closely. If they huddle under the heat source, then the brooder is too cold. If the chicks are seen only far away from the light, then it is too hot. Ideally, chicks should be spread out in the brooder, actively moving and exploring, with some chicks around the food and water, some under the heater, and some near the edges.
It is also very important to watch the chicks to see if they huddle to one side of the brooder indicating a draft. A draft could lower the temperature in the brooder so much that it could make the chickens more susceptible to illness, even though you have done everything right to ensure the proper temperature for the chicks. This is why it is important that the brooder is enclosed and free from drafts.
When deciding on housing, it is important to realize chicken and game bird become accustomed to the environment in which they live. Purchase a chick brooder that uses drinking equipment similar to that which they will be using as adults. If they will be using an automatic drinker system in the laying cage, but are raised on a water bottle type feeder, they may not know how to use the automatic drinking system when the time comes. Dehydration will then become a threat. It is best to either raise the birds on an automatic waterer from start to finish or take the time to teach birds how to use the automatic drinker when they are moved.
Moving to the food chicks are being fed, it is important not only to buy the right food for new chicks, but also to make sure you have the proper food for all stages of a bird’s life. Young chicks are one of the fastest growing animals in the world, and due to their rapid growth rate, they need a higher percentage of protein in their diet compared to older chickens. When looking at egg laying chickens, young chicks require much less calcium than do adult layers, since they are not actively laying eggs. If they are fed the same amount of calcium as actively laying chickens, they could experience calcium overdose. This is why it is important to buy food specifically created for young chicks (starter feed) and not use laying hen food.
Moving to the food chicks are being fed, it is important not only to buy the right food for new chicks, but also to make sure you have the proper food for all stages of a bird’s life. Young chicks are one of the fastest growing animals in the world, and due to their rapid growth rate, they need a higher percentage of protein in their diet compared to older chickens. When looking at egg laying chickens, young chicks require much less calcium than do adult layers, since they are not actively laying eggs. If they are fed the same amount of calcium as actively laying chickens, they could experience calcium overdose. This is why it is important to buy food specifically created for young chicks (starter feed) and not use laying hen food.
It is also important to check the height of the feeders and waterers to ensure the birds can easily reach both. It is usually best for feeders to be on the ground for young chicks so they can reach the food easily.