Hatching & Brooding

What baby chicks need

Heat they can walk away from, water they cannot drown in, and starter feed. The rest is detail.

By Mike M.Last updated October 5, 2026

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Quick picks

#	Product	Capacity	Score	Price
Rank 1	RentACoop 12x12in Adjustable Heating Plate with Anti-Roost Cone The safest brooder heat, with the roosting problem solved	Not published	8.0	$59.95on Amazon
Rank 2	Chick Feeder and Waterer Kit, 0.3 Gallon The first fortnight in the brooder	Not published	8.3	$8.99on Amazon
Rank 3	Purina Start & Grow Chick Crumbles, 25 lb (non-medicated) Feeding chicks from day one	Not published	8.3	$35.98on Amazon
Rank 4	Small Pet Select Pine Shavings Chicken Bedding The default coop and nest-box bedding	Not published	7.8	$35.99on Amazon

#ad Prices come from Amazon and change. How this site is funded. Scores are our own published rubric, not a lab test — see how we pick.

Chicks are straightforward if the five essentials are right from the first hour. Most problems in the first week trace back to one of them being wrong, so it is worth having all five ready before the chicks arrive rather than improvising on the day.

The five essentials

1. Heat they can move away from

A radiant heat plate at one end of the brooder, with a genuinely cooler end. Chicks regulate by moving in and out. A uniformly heated brooder removes that and is worse than one with a gradient. Extension's brooding guidance covers the temperature requirements.

2. Shallow water

A purpose-made chick waterer, not a dish. Chicks drown in surprisingly little water and a wet chick chills fast. Change it at least daily — they fill it with shavings and droppings within hours.

3. Chick starter feed

A complete starter crumble in a chick-height trough. Non-medicated if the chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis, because medicated feed works against the vaccine; medicated if they were not. Check with whoever supplied them, and if in doubt ask before buying.

4. Absorbent bedding

Pine shavings. Not newspaper, which is slippery and causes splayed legs, and not cedar, whose aromatic oils irritate airways. Top up daily; a brooder gets filthy faster than you expect.

5. Space with a secure lid

A large plastic storage tub works perfectly. Solid sides block drafts. A secure mesh lid matters sooner than you think: chicks start fluttering out within a couple of weeks, and household pets are a real risk.

The shopping list

A heat plate, the chick feeder and waterer set, starter crumble, and the bedding. That is genuinely everything.

#1 · The safest brooder heat, with the roosting problem solved

RentACoop 12x12in Adjustable Heating Plate with Anti-Roost Cone from RentACoop

$59.95on Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 5, 2026

RentACoop 12x12in Adjustable Heating Plate with Anti-Roost Cone

RentACoop

8.0/10Assessed on specs and owner reports

A 12 x 12 inch adjustable-height heat plate with a foldable anti-roost cone. The cone is why this one is worth the premium: without it, chicks roost on top and foul the plate within days.

Published specifications
Plate size	12 x 12 in
Height	Adjustable
Anti-roost	Foldable cone included
Type	Radiant brooder heating plate
Wattage	Not published by manufacturer

Specifications per RentACoop published specifications, as published at the date above.

What it does well

Mimics a broody hen: chicks go under for warmth and come out to eat, which is how they self-regulate
Anti-roost cone stops the plate becoming a perch and a toilet
Height adjusts as the chicks grow, which they do fast
No bulb, no light, so chicks sleep on a normal day-night cycle

Where it falls short

Wattage is not published
Plates warm the chicks, not the room — a very cold garage still needs ambient heat
More expensive than a clamp lamp and a bulb

Our rubric

Fire safety: 10.0
Temperature control: 8.0
Heat output: 7.0
Running cost: 9.0
Value: 6.0

#2 · The first fortnight in the brooder

Chick Feeder and Waterer Kit, 0.3 Gallon from Generic

$8.99on Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 5, 2026

Chick Feeder and Waterer Kit, 0.3 Gallon

Generic

8.3/10Assessed on specs and owner reports

A chick-height trough feeder and a 0.3 gallon waterer. Low, shallow and cheap, which is precisely right for day-old chicks that will otherwise stand in their water.

Published specifications
Includes	Chick feeder trough and waterer
Waterer capacity	0.3 gallon
Design	No-waste trough
For	Baby chicks

Specifications per Manufacturer figures as published on the Amazon product listing, as published at the date above.

What it does well

Shallow waterer is the right depth to stop chicks drowning or chilling themselves
Chick-height trough stops them scratching feed across the brooder
Cheap enough to replace rather than scrub when it gets filthy

Where it falls short

0.3 gallon needs refilling at least daily with a dozen chicks
Outgrown within a few weeks
Light plastic tips if chicks perch on the rim

Our rubric

Fit for purpose: 9.0
Mess and waste: 8.0
Quality: 7.0
Value: 9.0

#3 · Feeding chicks from day one

Purina Start & Grow Chick Crumbles, 25 lb (non-medicated) from Purina

$35.98on Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 5, 2026

Purina Start & Grow Chick Crumbles, 25 lb (non-medicated)

Purina

8.3/10Assessed on specs and owner reports

A nutritionally complete non-medicated starter crumble. Non-medicated is the right default if your chicks are vaccinated for coccidiosis — medicated feed works against that vaccine.

Published specifications
Type	Chick starter crumbles, non-medicated
Weight	25 lb
For	Chicks from hatch
Protein	Not published by manufacturer

Specifications per Manufacturer figures as published on the Amazon product listing, as published at the date above.

What it does well

Complete chick nutrition from day one — nothing to add but grit and clean water
Non-medicated, which is what vaccinated chicks need
25 lb takes a dozen chicks most of the way to point of lay

Where it falls short

Protein percentage is not stated on this listing
Non-medicated offers no coccidiosis support if the chicks are unvaccinated — check before you buy
Crumble is dusty in a brooder

Our rubric

Fit for purpose: 9.0
Mess and waste: 7.0
Quality: 9.0
Value: 8.0

#4 · The default coop and nest-box bedding

Small Pet Select Pine Shavings Chicken Bedding from Small Pet Select

$35.99on Amazon

#ad How we are funded · Price as of October 5, 2026

Small Pet Select Pine Shavings Chicken Bedding

Small Pet Select

7.8/10Assessed on specs and owner reports

Kiln-dried pine shavings in a bag sized for a coop rather than a hamster cage. Pine is the baseline bedding for a reason: absorbent, cheap, compostable, and it does not mat.

Published specifications
Material	Pine wood shavings
Intended use	Coop floor and nest boxes
Volume	Not published by manufacturer
Dust level	Not published by manufacturer

Specifications per Manufacturer figures as published on the Amazon product listing, as published at the date above.

What it does well

Absorbent enough to run a deep-litter floor for weeks between full changes
Composts down with the manure into usable garden material
Shavings stay loose, so hens can scratch and dust-bathe in them

Where it falls short

Dustier than hemp, which matters in a tight coop with poor ventilation
Volume per bag is not published, so cost-per-liter is hard to compare
Blows out of an open-sided run

Our rubric

Fit for purpose: 9.0
Mess and waste: 6.0
Quality: 8.0
Value: 8.0

Reading the chicks

What you see	What it means	What to do
Huddled tight under the heat, loud cheeping	Too cold	Lower the plate or increase output
At the far walls, panting, wings held out	Too hot	Raise the plate or reduce output
Spread out, some under, some eating	Correct	Nothing
Crowded into one corner away from the heat	A draft	Find and block it
Pasted vent (droppings stuck to down)	Often too hot, or stress	Gently clean with warm water; check temperature

Chick behavior is the instrument. A thermometer only confirms it.

Week by week

Week 1. Highest heat requirement. Check feed, water and chicks several times a day. Watch for pasted vents.
Weeks 2-3. Raise the plate as they grow. They will start flying — the lid becomes essential. Bedding needs changing more often.
Weeks 4-5. Feathering out. Heat requirement dropping. They need noticeably more space; a tub that fit ten chicks does not fit ten four-week-olds.
Week 6 onward. Most batches no longer need supplementary heat in mild weather, longer in cold. Start short supervised trips outside on warm days, then move to the coop.

What chicks also need, that is less obvious

Grit, if they get anything other than crumble. Chick grit is a finer grade. A chick eating grass or treats needs it to digest them.
No oyster shell. Excess calcium burdens the kidneys of birds that are not laying. Grit and oyster shell explained.
Something to perch on from about two weeks. A low dowel teaches roosting and keeps them off the floor.
Non-slip footing for the first days, especially if they hatched onto a smooth surface.
A plan for the cockerels. About half of any hatch. Decide before they arrive, not at week twelve.

Hygiene — this part is not optional

CDC's backyard poultry guidance applies to chicks in full, and chicks are the context where it matters most because people handle them more and keep them indoors:

Wash hands with soap and running water after touching chicks, bedding or equipment.
Do not keep poultry indoors, and especially not in areas where food is prepared. A brooder in a kitchen is specifically advised against.
Clean all poultry equipment outdoors only, using diluted bleach or a commercial disinfectant.
Children under five should not handle chicks, and all children should be supervised around them and during handwashing.
Do not kiss or cuddle chicks. They are charming and this is exactly how Salmonella transmits.

Frequently asked questions

What do baby chicks need?

Five things: heat they can move away from, a shallow chick waterer, complete chick starter feed, absorbent pine shavings, and draft-free space with a secure lid.

Medicated or non-medicated chick feed?

Non-medicated if the chicks were vaccinated for coccidiosis, because medicated feed works against the vaccine. Medicated if they were not. Check with whoever supplied the chicks.

Can I use newspaper in a brooder?

No. Newspaper is slippery and causes splayed legs. Use pine shavings — not cedar, whose aromatic oils irritate airways.

How long do chicks need heat?

Usually around six weeks in mild weather, longer in cold. The chicks decide: when they stop using the warm zone, they no longer need it.

When can chicks go outside?

Short supervised trips on warm days from around four to five weeks, and permanently to a fully predator-proofed coop at about six to eight weeks when fully feathered.

Are chicks safe for children to handle?

With supervision and handwashing. CDC advises that children under five should not handle poultry at all, that all children should be supervised, and that nobody should kiss or cuddle them.

Sources

Hatching & Brooding

What baby chicks need

Quick picks