Whether you’re raising chicks for the first time or you’ve done it before, setting up a brooder correctly is essential to getting your flock off to a strong, healthy start.

What Is a Brooder?

A brooder is a warm, enclosed space designed to house chicks during the first few weeks of life until they feather out and can safely regulate their own body temperature. In nature, a broody hen provides body heat and protection. In the absence of a mother, we replicate these conditions artificially.

Choosing the Right Container

Your brooder can be made from many materials. The most important factors are space, safety, and ease of cleaning. Common options include:

• Large plastic storage totes

• Galvanized metal stock tanks

• Wooden boxes or repurposed furniture

• Commercial brooder pens or kits

Avoid cardboard if possible. It absorbs moisture and can quickly become unsanitary. Also, ensure the sides are tall enough to prevent chicks from hopping out as they grow—but low enough for easy access.

Sizing Your Brooder

Chicks grow fast, and overcrowding can lead to stress, injury, or disease. A general rule is about 0.5 square feet per chick for the first two weeks, increasing to 1 square foot per chick by week four. For a typical starter flock of 6 to 10 chicks, aim for a brooder that’s at least 2 feet by 3 feet to start.

Heating: The Most Important Factor

Chicks need consistent warmth for survival. In their first week, the brooder should be kept at 95°F (35°C). Reduce the temperature by about 5°F each week until it reaches the ambient temperature or until chicks are fully feathered at around 6 weeks of age.

Safe Heating Options:

• Radiant Heat Panels: Safe, energy-efficient, and mimic the warmth of a mother hen. Chicks can move closer or farther away as needed.

• Flat Panel Brooders: Mounted horizontally and sit low to the ground, letting chicks warm underneath.

• Heat Lamps (with caution): If you use one, mount it securely with two backup fasteners, use a ceramic socket, and never place it near bedding. Always use a red bulb to reduce pecking and stress.

Avoid using space heaters or any heating element that creates an open flame.

Bedding: Keep It Clean and Dry

Pine shavings are the most popular bedding choice: they’re absorbent, inexpensive, and safe. Avoid cedar shavings, which release aromatic oils that can harm chicks’ respiratory systems.

Spread a layer of shavings a couple of inches thick, and clean out soiled spots daily. Newspaper should not be used as the sole bedding layer, as it becomes slick and can cause leg deformities in young chicks.

Food and Water Setup

Chicks should have 24/7 access to chick starter feed and clean water.

• Feeder: Use a shallow feeder designed for chicks to prevent waste and contamination.

• Waterer: Choose one with a narrow lip to prevent drowning. Place marbles or small stones in the base for very young chicks.

• Placement: Keep food and water away from the heat source to avoid overheating or spoilage. Raise them slightly on a block to reduce bedding contamination.

Ventilation and Draft Protection

Fresh air is important, but chicks are extremely sensitive to drafts. Your brooder should allow for air exchange without exposing the chicks to cold gusts. Covering part of the brooder with a mesh top or using a ventilated lid allows airflow while keeping out curious pets or predators.

Light Cycle

Chicks don't need 24 hours of bright light. If you’re using a heat lamp as a light source, make sure it doesn’t keep them awake all night. Too much light can cause pecking and stress. If your heating element doesn’t provide light, you can offer 12 to 16 hours of soft light per day to mimic a natural cycle.

Safety First: Key Considerations

• Keep cords out of reach and secured. Chicks peck and can get tangled in loose wires.

• Check temperature at chick level with a thermometer. Watch their behavior—if they huddle under the heat source, they’re cold; if they spread out or pant, they’re too hot.

• Use a secure lid or cover to keep out pets, rodents, or anything else that could pose a threat.

Daily Brooder Checklist

• Check temperature and chick behavior

• Refill food and water

• Spot-clean dirty bedding

• Look for signs of illness (pasted vent, lethargy, labored breathing)