Raising Baby Chicks: Brooder, Heat, and the First 6 Weeks

Author: Elliott Garber, DVM

Raising baby chicks comes down to getting a few things right and then leaving them alone to grow: warmth that starts near 95F and steps down about 5F a week, a clean dry brooder with room to move, chick starter feed, and shallow water they cannot drown in. Get the heat and the setup dialed in during the first days, watch each chick for a full belly and clear vent, and most of the work is done by the time they feather out around six weeks and move outside.

Set up the brooder before the chicks arrive

A brooder is just a warm, draft-free, predator-proof enclosure with clean bedding, heat, feed, and water. Have it running and up to temperature before you bring chicks home so they walk straight into a stable environment. A large plastic tote, a stock tank, or a purpose-built box all work. Give each chick enough floor space that they can move away from the heat if they get too warm, and add a screen or mesh lid because chicks start testing their wings within days.

For bedding, pine shavings are the standard choice. For the first day or two, paper towels over the shavings help chicks learn what is food and give their feet grip. What matters most is traction. Do not brood chicks on newspaper, cardboard, plastic, or any shiny slick surface: the smooth footing can cause splayed or spraddled legs. Penn State Extension’s brooding guidance and MSU Extension both note that paper towels, cloth, or proper litter give the traction that slippery paper does not. Keep the bedding clean and dry, and spot-clean or change it whenever it gets damp, because wet litter is where most brooder problems begin.

Heat: start near 95F and step it down each week

Chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature yet, so the brooder does it for them. The widely used extension schedule starts at about 95F at chick level during the first week, then lowers the temperature roughly 5F each week until the brooder reaches the surrounding room temperature (or the chicks are fully feathered). Penn State and Michigan State Extension describe the same step-down: week one around 95F, then 90, 85, 80 and so on until you are near normal room temperature by roughly week six.

Numbers are a starting point. The chicks themselves are the real thermometer, and they are easy to read. If they pile up in a tight huddle directly under the heat and cheep loudly, they are cold: lower the plate or nudge the temperature up. If they press against the far walls, pant, or hold their wings out away from their body, they are too hot: raise the heat source or move it. When chicks are spread out evenly, eating, drinking, and dozing in loose groups, the temperature is right. Keep a small thermometer at chick level so you have a reference, but always trust the behavior over the reading.

Why a radiant heat plate beats a heat lamp

For decades the default was a red heat lamp, and lamps still work if used carefully. But a hanging bulb is genuinely dangerous. Heat lamps are one of the leading causes of coop and barn fires: if the lamp falls into dry bedding, or the bulb contacts something flammable, it can ignite in seconds. The National Fire Protection Association has flagged DIY coop heat-lamp setups as a real fire and electrical hazard.

A radiant heat plate (sometimes called a brooder plate or heating plate) is the safer modern choice. It warms the chicks that huddle under or against it rather than heating the whole air space, runs at a much lower surface temperature, and has nothing to shatter or set bedding alight. As poultry extension resources note, radiant plates heat the birds and not the surrounding air, which also mimics how chicks would tuck under a hen. If you do use a lamp instead, secure it with a chain or wire (never by the cord), keep it well clear of bedding, and use a porcelain socket rated for the bulb.

Feed: chick starter, and the truth about “medicated”

Chicks need a complete chick starter feed, not scratch, layer feed, or table scraps. Starter is formulated with the higher protein a growing chick needs and, importantly for layers, without the high calcium in layer feed, which can harm young kidneys. Keep starter in front of them free-choice around the clock. Our chicken feeding guide covers how the diet changes as they grow into pullets and then layers.

The one decision that confuses most new keepers is medicated versus non-medicated starter. Here is the accurate version. Medicated chick starter almost always contains a compound called amprolium. Amprolium helps chicks resist coccidiosis, a common and sometimes deadly intestinal disease caused by a microscopic parasite (coccidia). It works by limiting the parasite’s access to a nutrient it needs to multiply in the gut, which gives the chick’s own immune system time to build resistance. Two points matter and are widely gotten wrong:

• Amprolium is not an antibiotic. Penn State Extension notes it has no meaningful antibacterial activity. It is also not a dewormer and does nothing for other diseases.
• Medicated feed is a choice, not a requirement. It is especially unnecessary if your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery. In fact, feeding amprolium can interfere with a coccidiosis vaccine, so vaccinated chicks should generally get non-medicated starter. Extension guidance is explicit that vaccinating lets you use non-medicated feed throughout.

So: if your chicks are vaccinated for cocci, use non-medicated starter. If they are not vaccinated and you are brooding in a warm, potentially damp environment, medicated starter is reasonable insurance. Either way, keep the bedding dry, because coccidiosis thrives in wet litter, and read the label to confirm what the “medicated” tag actually contains, since some feeds labeled that way carry probiotics rather than amprolium. Any sick chick, or specific dosing of any medication, is a veterinarian’s call, not something to improvise.

Water they cannot drown in

Fresh clean water at all times is non-negotiable, and the trap for new keepers is that day-old chicks can drown in surprisingly little of it. Use a proper shallow chick waterer, and put clean pebbles, glass marbles, or small clean stones in the drinking trough so chicks can sip between them but cannot fall in or lie down in the water. Extension sources recommend exactly this for bantams and other small chicks, and the marbles double as something bright to peck at, which helps them find the water in the first place.

When you first set chicks in the brooder, gently dip each one’s beak in the water so it learns where to drink. Keep the waterer away from directly under the heat source, clean it daily, and refill often, because chicks will kick bedding and droppings into it constantly.

Watch for pasty butt

Pasty butt (pasting up) is the most common early problem, especially in shipped chicks stressed by travel and temperature swings. Droppings dry and cake over the vent, and if the vent seals shut the chick cannot pass waste, which is quickly life-threatening. Check every chick’s rear end for the first week or two.

If you find a chick pasted over, do not pull the plug of dried droppings off dry, because you can tear the delicate skin. Soften it first: hold a warm, damp cloth or paper towel against the area, or briefly dip just the vent in warm (not hot) water, then gently work the softened mass away. Pat the chick dry, keep it warm so it does not chill, and return it to the brooder. Getting the brooder temperature right and avoiding overheating usually reduces pasty butt on its own. If a chick keeps pasting, looks lethargic, or is not gaining, that is worth a call to a vet or your local extension office.

The first six weeks, week by week

The pattern is simple once the setup is stable. In week one, chicks mostly eat, drink, sleep, and stay close to the heat; this is when you check vents daily and confirm every chick has a full, rounded crop by evening. Through weeks two and three you will see real feathers coming in on the wings and tail, more activity, and more mess, so cleaning becomes the daily job and you keep stepping the heat down about 5F a week. By weeks four and five most of the down is replaced by feathers, they need noticeably less heat, and on warm days they can take short supervised trips outside to a secure spot. By around week six a healthy chick is fully feathered and, after hardening off, ready to move to the coop.

Space matters as they grow. Crowded chicks pick at each other and foul their bedding faster, so give them more room as they feather out rather than keeping them packed in the starter tote.

Moving outside around six weeks

Do not rush the move outdoors. A chick is ready for the coop when it is fully feathered, typically around six weeks, and when nighttime temperatures are mild enough that it no longer needs supplemental heat. Feathering, not just age, is the signal.

Harden them off gradually. Give supervised daytime trips outside first so they adjust to real temperatures and sunlight, then move them to a predator-proof coop full time once they are feathered and the weather cooperates. If you are integrating them with an existing flock, do that carefully and separately from the temperature transition; our guide to integrating chickens walks through doing it without injuries. Make sure the coop itself is ready first: our chicken coop guide covers space, ventilation, and predator-proofing.

For more on the species overall, see the main chicken care hub. If you are still choosing names for the new arrivals, the chicken name generator is a fun place to start.

Keeping records from day one

The chicks you brood become the flock you manage for years, so it is worth tracking them from the start. On Creatures you can create a profile for each bird or for the group, log hatch dates, breed, and source, and note health events as they happen. Adding an animal takes a minute, and once a bird has a profile you can add records for anything from a vaccination to a vet visit. Keeping health and medical records in one place makes it easy to see later which birds were vaccinated for coccidiosis, when they moved to the coop, and how the group grew out. You can also set reminders for upcoming care so the next step never slips.

Frequently asked questions

How warm should the brooder be for the first week?

About 95F measured at the chicks’ level for week one, then lower it roughly 5F each week until you reach the surrounding room temperature or the chicks are fully feathered. Read the chicks as your real gauge: huddled and loud means too cold, spread to the edges and panting means too hot, evenly scattered and active means just right.

Do I have to use medicated chick feed?

No. Medicated starter contains amprolium, which helps chicks resist coccidiosis, but it is a choice, not a rule. It is not an antibiotic and not a dewormer. If your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis at the hatchery, use non-medicated feed, since amprolium can interfere with the vaccine. If they were not vaccinated, medicated starter is reasonable added protection. Dry bedding matters either way.

Why is a heat plate better than a heat lamp?

A radiant heat plate warms the chicks that gather under it rather than heating the whole room, runs at a lower surface temperature, and has no bulb to shatter or set bedding alight. Heat lamps are a leading cause of coop and barn fires. If you use a lamp anyway, secure it with a chain or wire, never the cord, and keep it well away from bedding.

When can chicks go outside?

When they are fully feathered, usually around six weeks, and nighttime temperatures no longer call for supplemental heat. Harden them off with supervised daytime outings first, then move them to a predator-proof coop full time. Feathering, not calendar age alone, is the signal.

What is pasty butt and what do I do?

It is dried droppings caking over the vent, common in the first couple of weeks. Soften the area with a warm damp cloth or a brief dip in warm water, gently remove the buildup without tearing skin, dry the chick, and keep it warm. Correct brooder temperature usually reduces it. If a chick keeps pasting or seems weak, contact a vet or your extension office.

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