Bringing home baby chicks is one of the most exciting parts of raising backyard chickens. However, the first few weeks are when most of the important care happens, and knowing what to expect can make everything feel a lot less overwhelming.

If you’re bringing chicks home soon or just did, here is a simple guide to their first three weeks of life- and everything we just went through and learned in our house!.

Before They Arrive: Your Brooder Setup

Before your chicks come home, your brooder should already be set up and warmed up. I didn’t have mine set up, and was buying everything along with the chicks. This made everything seem rushed when I got home to try to get the chicks warmed up and settled.

A brooder is simply a safe, warm space where chicks live while they grow and develop feathers. Many people use:

• A large plastic tote
• A stock tank
• A cardboard box for small batches
• A brooder box

Inside the brooder you will need:

Heat source
You can use either a heat lamp or a heat plate. Both work, but they have some differences.

Heat lamps are common and easy to find, but they run hotter and you need to secure them well for safety.

Heat plates are my personal favorite because they are safer and mimic how chicks would warm up under a mother hen.

Bedding
Pine shavings are the most common and work really well. Avoid cedar shavings because they can be harmful to chicks. Also make sure the shavings are not labeled “fine”. The chicks will eat them and that can be dangerous.

Food and water
Use a chick feeder and a shallow chick waterer so they can easily reach both. Make sure the waterer is designed for chicks so they cannot drown in it.

Temperature
Your brooder should start around 95°F the first week, then decrease by about 5 degrees each week. Keeping a thermometer in the brooder is an easy way to tell if your chicks are getting enough heat (or able to get away from the heat when they want, which is equally important).

It helps to set everything up a few hours before chicks arrive so the brooder is warm and ready.

What to Feed Baby Chicks

For the first several weeks, chicks should eat chick starter feed.

Look for:

• Chick starter crumble
• Around 18 to 20 percent protein
• Medicated or non medicated depending on your preference

Both options are commonly used. Medicated feed can help prevent coccidiosis, which is a common illness in chicks. Some people prefer non medicated and focus on clean brooder conditions instead.

Chicks do not need treats during these early weeks. Starter feed has everything they need.

If you do give tiny amounts of extras later on, they will need chick grit to help them digest food. Watch for more info on the blog in the coming weeks on this!

Fresh, clean water should always be available. One simple trick is adding a few marbles or small stones in the waterer during the first few days to help prevent chicks from accidentally getting wet or climbing in. They also are really good at flinging pine shavings or food into their water, so changing it multiple times a day is not unusual.

Week 1: Settling In

The first week is mostly about making sure everyone is adjusting well.

When you bring chicks home:

• Gently dip each chick’s beak into the water so they know where it is
• Watch that they find the feeder
• Keep an eye on temperature and behavior

Chicks will tell you if they are comfortable.

If they are too cold, they will huddle together tightly under the heat source.
If they are too hot, they will spread out and avoid the heat.

Comfortable chicks move around, eat, drink, and nap often.

Watch for Pasty Butt

One of the most common things new chicken owners run into is something called pasty butt.

This is when droppings stick and dry around the chick’s vent, which can block them from passing waste.

It is very common during the first week or two, especially after moving chicks to a new home.

Check your chicks daily. If you notice buildup:

• Gently clean the area with warm water
• Be careful not to pull feathers
• Dry the chick before returning them to the brooder

Catching it early makes it easy to fix. I used a dedicated chicken cup and filled it with enough warm water to cover the chick’s butt. Then I had them soak in it for about 5 mins. Typically, their droppings fell right off.

Week 2: Growing Fast

By the second week, you will probably notice that your chicks look bigger already. They grow incredibly fast during this stage.

A few things start to change:

• They become more active and curious
• Some begin testing their wings
• You may start to see the first signs of real feathers coming in, usually in their wings or tails

This is also when personalities really start to show. Some chicks are bold and adventurous while others are more relaxed.

Your brooder temperature should now be around 90°F.

You may also find that they are eating and drinking a lot more. This is completely normal as they grow.

Continue checking for pasty butt occasionally, though it usually becomes less common after the first week.

Week 3: Feather Changes and More Space

Around week three is when chicks start looking less like fluffy babies and more like tiny chickens.

You will likely notice:

• Wing feathers filling in
• Tail feathers becoming more noticeable
• A lot more movement and activity
• Occasional short fluttering or jumping

Your brooder temperature should be around 85°F at this point.

This is also when space can start to become an issue. Chicks grow quickly, and a brooder that felt big at the beginning can suddenly feel small.

If they seem crowded, it might be time to:

• Expand the brooder
• Add another brooder area
• Increase ventilation

Clean bedding becomes more important now because chicks are eating more and producing more waste. At this stage, I upgraded my large clear tote to a dedicated animal playpen/brooder. It is essentially mesh all around with areas that unzip to be able to reach in and clean as needed. This pen also had a little pocket to run the heater cord out of safely.

A Few Things That Are Totally Normal

New chicken owners often worry about things that are actually part of normal chick behavior.

You might see:

• Chicks zooming around suddenly
• Short bursts of wing flapping
• Lots of naps throughout the day
• Little peeping conversations between them

These are all signs of healthy, growing chicks. Occasionally, one chick may move suddenly and startle the others, which leads to chaos of flapping and hopping around for a few seconds.

The First Three Weeks Go Fast

The first few weeks with baby chicks are honestly so much fun and exciting to observe. Every day they seem a little bigger and a little more confident.

Before you know it, they will be feathered out and starting the transition toward moving outside.

Check on your chicks often, and remember to keep them clean and happy!