What Do I Need Before Chicks Arrive?

You have picked a date, maybe even placed the order, and now the question is simple: what do you actually need before chicks arrive? The list is short. Baby chicks need warmth, food, water, dry footing, and protection. Nearly everything else can wait.

This guide explains each item, why it matters, and gives you a countdown so nothing is left for the morning the post office calls.

The Checklist: What You Need Before Chicks Arrive

Think of the first few weeks as a nursery phase. A brooder is a warm, enclosed space where chicks live from hatch until they are feathered enough to move outside, usually around 5 to 8 weeks of age. Everything on this checklist supports that space.

Item	Why chicks need it	Quick tip
Brooder box or pen	Contains chicks and holds heat	Size it for the chicks at 4 weeks, not day one
Heat plate or heat lamp	Chicks cannot regulate body heat yet	Leave a cooler side they can move to
Thermometer	Confirms the warm zone is right	Measure at chick height
Pine shavings	Absorbs moisture and gives traction	Skip cedar shavings
Chick starter feed	Balanced nutrition for fast growth	Buy before arrival, not on the way home
Chick feeder	Keeps feed clean and reachable	Raise it as chicks grow
Chick waterer	Constant access to fresh water	Shallow base to prevent drowning

If you are still deciding where to order from and what to expect from shipping, our guide to purchasing chicks covers the ordering side of the process.

How Do You Set Up the Brooder and Heat?

The brooder does not need to be fancy. A plastic tote, stock tank, kiddie pool, or cardboard panels all work, as long as it has solid sides to block drafts, room for chicks to move away from the heat, and a screen cover once they start testing their wings. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our post on setting up a brooder.

Choosing a heat source

You have two common options:

• Heat plate: a low warming panel chicks huddle under, like a hen. It uses less power and carries a lower fire risk.
• Heat lamp: inexpensive and effective, but it must be secured with at least two independent fasteners (a clamp alone is not enough) and kept away from bedding and walls.

Getting the temperature right

Most guides recommend about 90 to 95°F in the warm zone for the first week, then lowering it roughly 5°F each week until chicks are fully feathered. Exact numbers vary by source, breed, and room temperature, so watch the chicks as much as the thermometer:

• Piled together directly under the heat: too cold.
• Pressed against the far walls, panting, wings held out: too hot.
• Spread out, some sleeping, some eating: just right.

What Feed and Water Do Baby Chicks Need?

Chick starter is a complete feed formulated for young chicks, typically around 18 to 20 percent protein, and it should be the only thing they eat for the first several weeks. Chicks eating only starter do not need grit. If you later offer treats or anything besides starter, add chick-sized grit so they can digest it.

Medicated or non-medicated?

Medicated starter usually contains amprolium, which helps protect chicks against coccidiosis, a common intestinal parasite. Non-medicated starter is the choice for chicks that were vaccinated for coccidiosis and for keepers who prefer to manage it other ways. It is a genuine judgment call, and our article on medicated vs. non-medicated chick starter lays out the trade-offs from a poultry nutrition expert.

Feeders and waterers

• Use a chick feeder with small openings or a trough with a guard, so chicks cannot scratch feed out or sit in it.
• Use a chick waterer with a narrow, shallow lip. If yours is wider, fill the trough with clean marbles or pebbles for the first week so no chick can fall in and drown.
• Set both on a small board so they collect less bedding.

Many keepers add vitamins and electrolytes to the water for the first few days, since shipping is stressful. Hoover’s offers an electrolytes and vitamins supplement that can be packed right in your chick box, with directions for use during the first 3 to 5 days.

Bedding, Space, and Where to Put the Brooder

Bedding

Pine shavings are the standard brooder bedding because they absorb moisture and give chicks good footing, while cedar shavings should be avoided because their aromatic oils can irritate young respiratory systems. Never use newspaper or bare plastic on its own. Slick surfaces can cause splayed legs, a condition where a chick’s legs slide out to the sides and it struggles to stand. For the first two or three days, lay paper towels over the shavings and sprinkle a little feed on them, so chicks learn what food is and do not fill up on shavings.

Space

A common guideline is about half a square foot per chick for the first couple of weeks, rising to 1 to 2 square feet per chick by 4 to 6 weeks. Chicks grow fast, so plan a brooder you can expand.

Location

Pick a spot with a reliable outlet, no drafts, good ventilation, and protection from pets and predators. Chicks create a surprising amount of dust, so many keepers prefer a garage or shed to the living room.

Health and Hygiene Supplies to Have on Hand

You do not need a full medicine cabinet for day-old chicks, but a few items make the first weeks much easier:

• Warm water and soft cloths or cotton pads for cleaning pasty butt, which is dried droppings blocking a chick’s vent. Shipped chicks are prone to it in the first week. Our guide to dealing with pasty butt in baby chicks shows how to handle it gently.
• A small separate box with its own heat, so you can isolate a chick that is struggling or being picked on.
• A chick care kit if you want the basics in one place. The Baby Chick Care Kit from Hoover’s Hatchery bundles a feed supplement, a water additive, a litter treatment, and a step-by-step Baby Chick Success Guide.

Live poultry, including healthy-looking chicks, can carry Salmonella, so everyone should wash their hands after touching chicks or anything in the brooder. Our article on salmonella prevention for backyard chickens covers the simple habits that keep families safe.

A Countdown to Arrival Day

Preparation is easier when you spread it out:

3 to 4 weeks before

• Choose your brooder location and gather the brooder, heat source, feeder, and waterer.
• Plan where the chicks will live once they leave the brooder.

1 week before

• Buy chick starter feed, pine shavings, and paper towels.
• Test the heat source and thermometer.
• If chicks are shipping by mail, call your local post office, let them know chicks are coming, and give them a phone number they can reach you at early in the morning.

24 hours before

• Assemble the brooder, add bedding, and turn on the heat.
• Check that the warm zone reaches the target temperature and stays steady.
• Fill the waterer so the water is room temperature by the time chicks arrive.

Arrival day

• Gently dip each chick’s beak in the water as you place it in the brooder, so it knows where to drink.
• Check every vent for pasty butt, then give them quiet time to settle.

For one keeper’s version of this process with meat birds, including a chicken tractor built ahead of time, read preparing for chicks to arrive.

Does the Coop Need to Be Ready Too?

Not on day one, but it should be ready before the chicks outgrow the brooder. Most chicks are ready to move to the coop once they are fully feathered, usually between 5 and 8 weeks old depending on breed and weather.

Planning the coop now also helps you decide how many chicks to order, since coop and run space sets the upper limit on your flock. A widely used rule of thumb is about 3 to 4 square feet per standard-size bird inside the coop and 8 to 10 square feet per bird in the run. If you would rather skip building, Hoover’s sells Lean-To Easy Clean chicken coops made from recycled plastic that you can clean with a hose.

Key takeaways

• Warmth, feed, water, dry bedding, and protection are the non-negotiables.
• Preheat the brooder at least 24 hours before chicks arrive.
• Watch chick behavior, not just the thermometer.
• Have the coop plan settled before chicks are 5 weeks old.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should I set up the brooder?

Set up and turn on the brooder at least 24 hours before chicks arrive. That gives the heat source time to warm the bedding and air, and it lets you confirm the temperature holds steady overnight. Gather the supplies a week or more ahead so you are not shopping at the last minute if something is out of stock.

Can I use a cardboard box as a brooder?

Yes, a sturdy cardboard box works for a small number of chicks for the first week or two. It blocks drafts and is easy to replace when it gets dirty. Chicks outgrow small boxes quickly, though, and cardboard is flammable, so keep any heat lamp well secured and plan to move them into something larger.

Do baby chicks need a heat lamp, or is a heat plate better?

Either works if it is set up correctly. Heat plates use less energy, carry a lower fire risk, and let chicks rest in darkness at night. Heat lamps are inexpensive and warm a wider area, but they need secure mounting and careful placement away from bedding. Many keepers now prefer heat plates for safety.

What should I feed chicks on the first day?

Feed chick starter from the very first day, and nothing else. Sprinkle some on paper towels so chicks find it easily, and make sure fresh water is available at the same time. Chicks absorb the yolk just before hatching, which sustains them during shipping, but they should start eating and drinking as soon as they reach the brooder.

Is it okay to keep baby chicks in the house?

You can, but most keepers prefer a garage, shed, or spare room. Chicks produce a lot of fine dust, and like all live poultry they can carry Salmonella. If the brooder is indoors, keep it away from kitchens and eating areas, and wash your hands every time you handle the chicks or their supplies.

Once the brooder is warm and the feed and water are set, the rest is watching them grow, and that is the fun part.