Before getting new chicks, it is always better to be prepared.
Basic Check List:
• brooder box (a place to keep the chicks)
• bedding
• heat source (heating lamp, heating plate aka brooder, or broody hen)
• thermometer
• feeder
• waterer
• of course, food and water
Brooder Box
Brooder boxes can be made at home with wood, plastic, or anything to contain chicks. I have used a cardboard box before, but if the chicks are too messy, the bottom of the box can become soggy and fall apart. I prefer to use a plastic storage tote. To keep the babies from flying out, I cut a rectangular opening in the lid, then I zip tie chicken wire or deer netting over the opening. The plastic brooder is light weight and inexpensive to make. I also have built a wooden brooder, but I do not use it as much as I use the plastic one. It is much heavier and harder to clean. Another option for a brooder would be to purchase one online or at a farm store.
The main goal for brooders is to keep the little chicks safe and comfortable. The less stress your chicks are, the healthier they'll be.
Bedding
After you have the brooder set up, it is time to put bedding down so the chicks do not slip and get injured. The best product to use is pine wood chips. They can be purchased from a store, online, or at a saw mill. The wood chips help absorb chicken droppings and makes cleaning the brooder easier. I normally use a litter box scooper to clean out the bedding when needed.
Cedar wood chips might smell really pleasant but are actually fatal to chickens due to their respiratory systems.
Heating Source
Heating sources are important for the first weeks of a chick's life. Normally, a broody mama hen would keep chicks warm but not everyone has a broody hen on hand. Artificial heat must be used to keep chicks warm. These include heat lamps or heating plates (aka brooders). I would recommend heating plates because they are safer and more energy efficient than a heating lamp. Heat lamps can fall and cause fires. But heat lamps are commonly used. I have used them before because heating plates are not always available. I used a pulley system for the heating lamp to make it more secure.
On the other hand, chicks use the heating plates (brooders) by running underneath it like they would a mother hen.
It is best to set up the heating source in advance so the temperature will already be at a stable temperature before getting the chicks.
Thermometer
A thermometer is necessary for determining the correct temperature of the brooder box. Chicks can die from being too cold or too hot. I cannot stress enough how important temperature is.
Some signs that the temperature should be adjusted would be huddling or panting and staying far away from the heat source. If chicks are too cold, they will be huddled together and trying to get closer to the light. (Sometimes, the chicks are just huddled together because they are social creatures.) If they are cold, the heat source should be lowered. If chicks are panting and staying away from the heat, they are too hot, so the heat source needs to be raised and adjusted. Usually, having a thermometer makes it easier to determine if the chicks are too hot or cold.
For newly hatched or day-old chicks, the temperature should be at 95°F. There will be a separate chapter explaining the different temperatures for each week as a chick ages.
Feeders and Waterers
Appropriate feeders and waterers help keep the chicks safe. If a waterer is too deep, the chicks can drown. There are different types of feeders/waterers available at feed stores.
Note: if raising quail or other smaller breeds, there is a waterer specifically made for them. Quail are half the size of chickens when they are chicks, so quail chicks could possibly drown in a waterer made for chicken chicks.
Feed
Feed just depends on preference.
Chick starter comes in medicated or non-medicated feed. I have seen people use either one, and they both have healthy flocks. I normally just use medicated chick starter because it contains amprolium which helps fight coccidiosis.
But if you want to take a more organic route, they make organic/non-medicated chick starter and adult chicken feed.
To each their own.
Now it's time to find some chicks!