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How to raise baby chicks, week by week

From the day they arrive to the first egg: heat, space, feed and the jobs for each week.

Updated November 2026 · 7 min read

A fluffy yellow chick resting by pink flowers
Photo: DaPuglet, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
The short version
  • Start the brooder at 92–95°F at chick level in week 1 and drop about 5°F a week until room temperature by week 8 (Penn State).
  • Give ¼ sq ft per chick in week 1, rising to 1 sq ft by weeks 5–8 and 1½ sq ft after that (Penn State).
  • Feed chick starter (18–20% protein) for the first 6–8 weeks, then grower, then layer feed around 20 weeks or the first egg.
  • Watch the chicks, not just the thermometer: huddled under the heat means cold, crowded at the edges means hot.
  • Wash hands after every visit and keep children under 5 from handling chicks (CDC); use a heat plate or a lamp secured with a chain.

Learning how to raise baby chicks is mostly about doing the mother hen's job for eight weeks: keeping them warm, dry, fed and safe. Chicks cannot hold their body heat at first, so the brooder temperature and how you read the chicks' behavior matter more than any gadget.

This week-by-week plan uses Penn State Extension's brooding schedule, University of Minnesota guidance on feeding pullets and CDC handling rules. Chicks come from hatcheries, feed stores or your own incubator; the links here are only for the gear around them.

What do you need before baby chicks arrive?

UMN recommends starting the brooder the day before chicks arrive so the heat and bedding are settled. Have these ready:

Chicks in a plastic brooder bin with wood shavings, a red feeder and a waterer
A tub brooder with bedding, feeder and waterer ready.Photo: Phil Denton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr
  • A brooder: a draft-free box, tub, pen or kit with sides chicks cannot hop over. Setup details are in how to set up a brooder.
  • A heat source: a heat plate sized for your chick count, or a heat lamp secured with a chain or cable.
  • A thermometer at chick level under and away from the heat.
  • A chick feeder and waterer chicks can reach but not fall into or roost on.
  • Chick starter feed and, if you will feed anything besides starter, chick-size grit.
  • Bedding: 2–3 in of clean, dry litter such as pine shavings, with paper towels on top for the first days (Penn State). Never slippery newspaper alone.

How warm should a brooder be each week?

Penn State's schedule, measured at chick level under the heat source:

Brooder temperature at chick level, under the heat source

Chick age°F°CFloor space per chick
Week 192–95°F33–35°C¼ sq ft
Weeks 2–385–90°F29–32°C½ sq ft
Weeks 3–580–85°F27–29°C¾ sq ft
Weeks 5–870–80°F21–27°C1 sq ft
Week 8 onRoom temperature—1½ sq ft, more for large breeds

Source: Penn State Extension, Brooding of Domestic Fowl. Watch the chicks too: huddled under the heat means cold, crowded at the edges means too hot.

These are starting points. Penn State says chicks that spread out evenly and stay active are comfortable; chicks huddled under the heat are cold; chicks pressed to the far edges, panting with wings held out, are too hot; and chicks bunched away from one side are probably in a draft. With a heat plate, chicks warm themselves by touching its underside, so you raise the legs as they grow rather than measure air temperature.

Brooder temperature chart by weekEnter the hatch date to see this week's target in °F or °C.

Raising chicks week by week

Chick care calendar

AgeHeat (Penn State)Space per chickFeed and waterJobs this week
Day 192–95°F¼ sq ftStarter; dip a few beaks in waterCheck every chick drinks and eats; crops full by day 2 (Penn State)
Week 192–95°F¼ sq ftStarter; 1 in feeder space per chickCheck vents for pasted droppings; keep paper towels over litter
Weeks 2–385–90°F½ sq ftStarter; 1½ in feeder spaceRaise waterer and feeder to back height; add a low perch
Weeks 3–580–85°F¾ sq ftStarter; 2 in feeder spaceWing and tail feathers growing; expand the brooder
Weeks 5–870–80°F1 sq ftStarter until 6–8 weeks (UMN)Short supervised outings on warm days; finish the coop
Week 8 +Room temperature1½ sq ftGrower feed (UMN); 3 in feeder spaceMove to the coop once fully feathered and nights are mild
Weeks 16–20NoneCoop normsSwitch to layer feed around 20 weeks or first egg (UMN)Open nest boxes; offer oyster shell once laying

Source: Penn State Extension, Brooding of Domestic Fowl; UMN Extension, Raising layer chicks and pullets

What should baby chicks eat and drink?

Penn State says chicks can live on their yolk for about 72 hours but should ideally reach feed and water within 24 hours of hatching. With a small group, dip each chick's beak in the water so it learns where to drink. Allow about one quart of water per 25 chicks (Penn State).

Young white chicks in a wire pen with a plastic chick waterer
Chicks at a shallow chick waterer.Photo: Bob n Renee, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
18–20%Protein in chick starterPenn State Extension
6–8 wkWeeks on starter before growerUMN Extension
20 wkSwitch to layer feed (about)UMN Extension
1 qtWater per 25 chicksPenn State Extension

Medicated or not? Medicated chick starter contains a coccidiostat; use it per the label. If your chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis, ask the hatchery whether medicated feed is appropriate. Penn State says waterfowl should not get medicated feed, so do not share it with ducklings. Do not feed layer feed to chicks: its extra calcium is meant for laying hens.

If you offer anything besides starter (treats, greens), add chick-size grit so they can grind it. Keep treats tiny in the first weeks.

Feeders and waterers should be easy to clean and hard to fall into. Penn State suggests marbles or pebbles in water trays for bantams and other small birds to prevent drowning.

How do you keep chicks healthy?

Most chick problems come from chilling, overheating, crowding or wet bedding. Penn State notes that chilled chicks have cold, puffy legs and overheated chicks have dry, thin legs. A few checks each day catch problems early:

  • Pasted vents. Look under the tail for droppings stuck over the vent, especially in week 1. Gently soften and remove them with warm water. Persistent pasting can mean the brooder is too hot or too cold.
  • Spraddle or splayed legs. Often linked to slippery floors; Penn State warns that poor traction can cause permanent leg damage. Use textured bedding or paper towels, never bare newspaper.
  • Wet or caked bedding around the waterer: replace it daily.
  • Pecking. Crowding and heat raise pecking. Expand space on schedule.
  • Any chick that is weak, not eating or breathing hard: separate it, keep it warm and contact a veterinarian or your state poultry lab.
Salmonella and chicks: CDC rulesChicks can carry Salmonella even when they look clean and healthy. Wash hands with soap and water after touching chicks, feeders, waterers or bedding, and supervise children's handwashing. Don't kiss or snuggle chicks, and don't let them roam where food is prepared. Children under 5 should not handle chicks, ducklings or other poultry. Keep a pair of shoes just for chick chores.Source: CDC Healthy Pets, Backyard Poultry
Heat lamps start firesUse a heat plate, or hang a heat lamp with a chain or cable, never by its cord (UMN) or a spring clamp alone. Keep lamps at least 20 in from bedding and other flammable materials (Penn State), and avoid long-term extension cords. More in heat lamp fire safety.Source: Penn State Extension; Clark County (WA) Fire Marshal

When can baby chicks go outside?

Penn State's schedule reaches room temperature by about week 8, and that is when most chicks are fully feathered and ready to move to the coop if nights are mild. Before then, short supervised trips outside on warm, calm days are fine from a few weeks old. Bring them back to the brooder before they get chilled.

A hen and her chicks foraging on grass by a wooden fence
Feathered-out chicks can start short outdoor trips.Photo: possumgirl2, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

When you move them, keep young birds in a separate, secure section of the coop or run for a while if you already have older hens; big birds can bully small ones. Your coop should be finished, predator-resistant and sized for adult birds by then: check the coop size guide and predator protection.

A low perch from week 2–3 helps chicks practice roosting before the move.

Mistakes to avoid with baby chicks

  • Running the heat too hot "to be safe". Overheated chicks dehydrate. Give them room to move away from the heat.
  • A brooder too small by week 3. Space needs double from week 1 to weeks 2–3 (Penn State).
  • Slippery floors. Use textured bedding.
  • Fine sawdust in week 1. Penn State warns chicks may eat it.
  • One heat source with no backup. UMN suggests more than one lamp in larger setups; a bulb failure on a cold night is serious.
  • Layer feed for chicks or medicated starter for ducklings.
  • Letting kids snuggle chicks or bringing chicks into the kitchen.

More chick gear is in the chicks and brooding hub and the first flock collection; for heat sources, compare heat plate vs heat lamp and the best brooder heat plates.

Verdict

Keep chicks at 92–95°F in week 1 and drop about 5°F a week, give them more floor space every couple of weeks, feed starter for 6–8 weeks, and move them to the coop when fully feathered around week 8. Read their behavior every day, and make handwashing and a securely mounted, lower-risk heat source non-negotiable.

Brooder temperature chart by weekBrooder temperature for chicks week by week, in °F or °C, with floor space per chick, a heat-plate capacity…Flock care checklistDaily, weekly, monthly and seasonal backyard chicken chores in one printable checklist. Ticks reset each…

Questions

What temperature do baby chicks need?
Penn State gives 92–95°F at chick level in week 1, 85–90°F in weeks 2–3, 80–85°F in weeks 3–5 and 70–80°F in weeks 5–8, then room temperature.
How long do chicks need a heat lamp?
Usually about 6–8 weeks, until they are fully feathered. Penn State's schedule reaches room temperature at about week 8; colder rooms may need heat a little longer.
When can baby chicks go outside?
Short, supervised outings on warm days are fine after a few weeks. Most chicks move to the coop full-time at about 8 weeks, when fully feathered and nights are mild.
What do baby chicks eat?
Chick starter with 18–20% protein (Penn State) for the first 6–8 weeks, then grower feed, then layer feed at about 20 weeks or the first egg (UMN). Add chick grit if you feed anything besides starter.
What is pasty butt in chicks?
Droppings that dry over a chick's vent and block it. Check daily in the first week and gently clean with warm water. If a chick is weak or it keeps happening, check brooder temperature and contact a veterinarian.
Can kids hold baby chicks?
CDC says children under 5 should not handle chicks or other poultry. Older children can, with an adult watching, if they wash hands with soap and water afterward and don't kiss or snuggle the chicks.

Sources

  1. Penn State Extension, Brooding of Domestic Fowl
  2. University of Minnesota Extension, Raising layer chicks and pullets
  3. University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather (never hang a heat lamp by the cord)
  4. University of Missouri Extension, Incubation of poultry (G8353)
  5. CDC Healthy Pets, Backyard Poultry
  6. Clark County (WA) Fire Marshal, Safety tips to prevent a chicken coop fire