Brooding day-old chicks: the first fourteen days
Brood day-old chicks warm, dry and evenly spread. Heat the brooder and its litter hours before the birds arrive, start at around 32 to 35°C in the first week and reduce it by roughly two to three degrees a week, give clean water before feed, and keep the litter dry. Watch how the birds distribute themselves: that tells you more than the thermometer does.
Peculiar Poultry · Updated 9 September 2026
Get the brooder warm before the birds arrive
The most common brooding mistake is heating the space as the chicks are unloaded. Cold litter pulls heat out of birds standing on it however warm the air is. Start heating hours ahead so the floor itself is warm.
Temperature, and how to check it without a thermometer
Most guidance starts brooding at about 32 to 35°C for the first week and drops it by roughly two to three degrees each week until the birds are feathered and the house temperature is enough. Treat that as the starting point, not the answer.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chicks piled under the lamp | Too cold | Raise the heat or lower the lamp |
| Chicks pressed against the walls, panting | Too hot | Reduce heat, check ventilation |
| All chicks crowded to one side | A draught | Find and block the draught at bird level |
| Evenly spread, moving, feeding, noisy | Right | Leave it alone |
| Quiet and still when they should be active | Something is wrong | Check heat, water and air now |
Water before feed
Chicks arrive slightly dehydrated from the journey. Give clean water at a height every bird can reach, and watch until you have seen each part of the group drinking. Only then put feed out.
- Put starter feed on flat trays or paper for the first days so it is easy to find
- Keep drinkers away from the heat source so the water stays cool
- Clean drinkers daily; a slimy drinker is a disease route
- Check for birds that have not found either, and move them there yourself
Litter, space and light
- Dry litter is not optional. Wet patches under drinkers are where most early disease starts.
- Turn litter regularly and top it up rather than letting it cake.
- Give birds room to move away from the heat if they want to, and expand the space as they grow.
- Lots of light in the first days helps chicks find feed and water; reduce it as they settle.
Keep records from day one
Write down the hatch date, batch number and vaccinations from the box, then note daily mortality, feed used and anything unusual. When something goes wrong in week three, the record is what tells you when it actually started.
Questions
What temperature should a brooder be for day-old chicks?
Around 32 to 35°C in the first week, reduced by roughly two to three degrees a week as the birds feather. Use that as a starting point and adjust based on how the chicks distribute themselves, because draughts and humidity change what a given reading actually feels like to the bird.
How long do chicks need a brooder?
Usually until they are properly feathered and the ambient temperature is enough on its own, which is commonly around three to four weeks depending on the weather and the housing. Watch the birds rather than the calendar.
Why are my chicks piling on top of each other?
Piling almost always means cold, or a draught pushing them to one side. Check the heat at bird level rather than at head height, and look for air moving across the floor from a gap you have stopped noticing.
Should chicks get water or feed first?
Water first. Chicks arrive slightly dehydrated and need to drink before they eat. Give clean water at a reachable height, confirm the group is drinking, then put feed out on trays or paper.