Spring is finally here and after months of anticipation, spring chicks are here! It never ceases to amaze us how excited customers get when those fluffy babies show up in our stores. Every year we meet people who are getting their first batch of chicks and adventuring into the ever-growing community of chicken enthusiasts. On that note, we want to ensure everyone has the right information in order to succeed and raise the healthiest flock.

What you’ll need:

Environment: Be sure your brooder is big enough so your chicks can move around about comfortably. Keep it out of drafts. Do not allow the brooder to become damp or wet.

Bedding: Pine wood shavings are ideal. Avoid straw or newspaper as they may become slippery for chicks. Clean bedding daily (this is very important for chick health).

Food & water: Scatter feed on the brooder floor so chicks can find it at first, then transition to using a feeder. Have one of the Nutrena chick starter formulas available 24/7 and they’ll eat when they need to. One chick will eat about 10 lbs. of chick starter in its first 10 weeks of life. Ensure chicks have access to fresh clean water and that their waterer is clean at all times.

Heat: Suspend a warming bulb about a foot above the brooder floor for warmth and have a second bulb on hand in case one burns out. Keep lamps in the brooder about 90-95° the first week, decreasing the temperature about 5° every week. Raise the light as the chicks grow.

Common questions:

Where do we get our chicks? Big R orders our chicks from Hoover’s Hatchery.

Can I special order chicks? Yes! Please ask an associate for details on special ordering. Special orders require a minimum order of 15 chicks with a best price minimum order of 25 chicks.

What do we feed our chicks? Chicks are fed Nutrena® NatureWise Chick Starter Grower Feed (Item #256525) in our stores.

Right click and save our handy Spring Chicklist which contains all of this information for future reference!