BABY CHICK SUPPLIES : STARTER INFO Baby Chicks

If you’re feeling ready to add some baby chicks to your family, now is the time to start preparing! We’ve put together the perfect baby chick supplies shopping list, so you can get everything you need, easily and quickly!
Chicks don’t need much to be happy and healthy, but there are several items you’ll absolutely need in your arsenal before those sweet peepers arrive.

Figuring out what you need to brood chicks can be overwhelming, so we've made it easy with this chick shopping list!

1. Brooder (STARTE HOME, LARGER AREA  CONTAINER )
The brooder is the first supply to buy for your chicks. The brooder is simply the place where your chicks will live until they’re 4-6 weeks old and can move to the chicken coop. The brooder keeps them contained and safe while they’re wee little babies.
There are tons of great options for your brooder, and many of them are free! A large plastic bin or cardboard box will work just fine if you have one handy. We’ve seen fellow chicken keepers use old playpens, unused bathtubs, and large feed troughs to brood their chicks as well.
We’ve tried all different types of brooders over the years, and have recently landed on a favorite. We use a large rabbit cage to brood our chicks and it’s the perfect solution. The cage keeps the chicks contained, even when they start learning to fly and jump. The chicks can see out of the cage which gives them some entertainment throughout the day. We also usually place a large stick through the cage rungs for an easy roosting bar for the chicks, they love it!
The best part is, it’s easy to take apart and very easy to clean so we can re-use it for years to come! This one-time investment has served us well for years, and we also pull it out when we have a sick or broody hen that needs to be separated from the flock.

2. Heat Source
The heat source is the most important supply you’ll need for your chicks. Chicks raised in nature gather under their mother for warmth. When you’re raising the chicks on your own, it’s up to you to provide them with constant warmth.
Good Heat Sources
Brinsea Eco Glow– This is the ideal heat source for your chicks. Yes it’s expensive, but you buy it once and can use it forever. It’s the safest and most reliable heater you can have for your chicks.
Heat Lamp– This is the second best heat source for your chicks, but if you choose to use one, be extra vigilant! Heat lamps cause fires every single year due to misuse. If you choose to use a heat lamp, secure the lamp and the cord in at least three ways so it doesn’t risk falling into the brooder.
Bad Heat Sources
Wood Stove– this heat fluctuates too much and needs constant attention from you.
Heating Pad– These generally don’t get warm enough, have automatic shut-offs, or can pose a fire risk if left on all the time
Space Heater– Draws too much power, heat fluctuates, may auto-shutoff

THERMOMETERS
Baic indoor outdoor Thermometer

USE A THERMOMETER to watch the temperature not to over heat the baby chicks.
95-100 degrees for the first 2 weeks , Then 5 degrees each week until they are 1 month old.
 If chicks are crowded together directly under the heat source, then they are cold. If they are around the edges of the brooding area, then they are too hot. Adjust the height of the lamp accordingly and give them enough room to move in and out of the light to regulate their body temperatures.
3. Bedding/Litter

Every brooder needs a bedding source to soak up manure and give your chicks a cozy place to cuddle up. Chick bedding should be easy to replace, comfortable, absorbent, and safe for your chicks. We always use pine shavings for brooder bedding because it’s inexpensive and cozy for the chicks. There are, however a few other options!
ECO FLAKES  YES.. SAFE FOR ANIMALS!!!

Bad Litter Choices
Cat Litter– Chicks will eat it, too much dust, bad for their health
Flat or Shredded Newspaper– Not absorbent, can cause leg and toe issues in chicks
Paper Towel– too expensive, needs replacing constantly
Check out more about your bedding & litter options for your chicken coop!

4. Chick Waterer
Chick water founts are inexpensive and so worthwhile. It’s never a good idea to give your chicks water out of a bowl, as they could drown in the water and will quickly foul it up by roosting on the edge of the bowl. Chick water founts dispense a small amount of water at a time into a small reservoir. They’re well worth the $2 price tag and will last for many years.
 

5. Chick Feeder
A chick feeder isn’t absolutely necessary, but will save you money over time. You can feed your chicks out of a ceramic bowl, but the chicks will waste a lot of the feed this way. Chicks love to get into feed bowls and kick the feed out, or take a dust bath in the feed bowl, spreading the feed all over the brooder. Chick feeders are ideal because they feature small holes for the chicks to eat out of, so they can’t kick the feed. They’re definitely worth buying, and again, will last for many years and save on the feed bill.
 

6. Chick Feed
There are two main types of chick feed to choose from, medicated and non-medicated. This decision is a personal one, and there are pros and cons to each type. Medicated feed helps to prevent Coccidiosis in your chickens.
Choosing whether or not to use medicated feed depends a lot on where you acquire your chicks. Many hatcheries vaccinate against Coccidiosis, so using medicated feed would be pointless. Some hatcheries, however, don’t vaccinate, and if you hatch your own chicks, you likely won’t be vaccinating them.
Coccidiosis is a dangerous and devastating disease that can wipe out your whole flock quickly. Many chicken keepers believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.
 

7. First Aid Baby Chick Supplies
As with humans, it’s best to have first aid supplies before an emergency strikes. You just never know what’s going to come at you when you’re raising livestock, so stocking up on first aid supplies is a must. We like to put these items all together in an animal first aid kit so it’s ready when we need it.
Sav-A-Chick These are electrolytes and vitamins that you mix into the chicks water. It helps them to stay hydrated and healthy during times of stress.

Sav-A-Chick Probiotic These are probiotics that are mixed in with the drinking water. These work well to help with chick digestion and have cured many runny chicken poops around our homestead!
Pasty Butt — also known as pasting, paste up, or sticky bottom — is a common condition in newly hatched chicks. It occurs when soft droppings stick to a chick’s vent, then harden and seal the vent shut. If the condition is not corrected, the affected chick may die.

Although pasting may be caused by disease — typically in chicks older than one week — it is more likely to be caused by chilling, overheating, or improper feeding of newly hatched chicks. Shipped chicks that got chilled in transit may paste, as may dehydrated chicks that are given too-cold water as their first drink. Pasting is less likely to occur when the chicks’ first drink is no less than brooding temperature (95 to 100ºF) and the chicks are drinking well before they start eating.

Adding electrolytes to the drinking water can give shipped chicks an immunity boost, but can also cause pasty butt if the chicks are dehydrated and drink more than usual, therefore getting an excessive dose of electrolytes. Too much sugar added to the chicks’ first water as an energy booster can also cause pasting. Cackle Hatchery’s Jeff Smith suggests adding 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to each quart of the chicks’ drinking water during the first week to reduce the possibility of pasting.

A chick with a sticky bottom must be cleaned up before the droppings harden and plug up the works. Begin by running a gentle stream of warm tap water over the chick’s bottom. Then take your time picking off the mess with your fingers, being super careful not to rip out any down and tear the chick’s tender skin. Depending on how thick and hardened the poop is, you may have to pick off a little at a time, then apply more warm water.
Neosporin (Non-pain relief) This is a great thing to keep on hand for any animal wounds. Be sure to get the kind without pain relief. We put neosporin on chick and hen wounds to help them heal faster and prevent infection.
Now that you have your chick shopping list, you’re ready to do the fun part and shop! All of these supplies can be picked up at farm supply stores like Akard True Value. Be sure to have all of these supplies purchased and set up before you bring any chicks home!