Chicks & Hatching
Practical, sourced guides on Chicks & Hatching for backyard keepers of every level.
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Every guide is sourced from university extensions, USDA guidance and real backyard experience.
When to move chicks outside: age, feathers, temperature, and what to do first
Find out exactly when chicks are ready to move outside - the feather and temperature benchmarks, how to…
10 min read
Hatching shipped eggs: realistic success rates and how to give yours the best shot
Shipped hatching eggs hatch at 40-60% on a good day. Learn why the rate drops, how to rest…
9 min read
How to sex chicks - and why it's harder than it looks
Four methods to tell pullets from cockerels - vent sexing, feather sexing, sex-links, and auto-sexing breeds - plus…
8 min read
Raising chicks from egg to coop: a complete guide for new flock keepers
Learn how to incubate eggs, set up a brooder, feed and care for chicks week by week, and…
14 min read
Raising chicks without a heat lamp: safer heat sources, fire risks, and temperature management that works
Heat plates, broody hens, and warm-room brooding are safer than a heat lamp. Learn which method fits your…
9 min read
Raising baby chicks week by week: temperature, feed, and milestones from hatch to coop
Follow the week-by-week schedule for raising baby chicks: 92-95°F brooder temp dropping 5F each week, what to feed,…
11 min read
Medicated vs unmedicated chick feed: what amprolium actually does and when to use each
Learn what amprolium does in medicated chick starter, why it's not an antibiotic, when to choose medicated or…
9 min read
Letting a broody hen hatch eggs: the complete keeper's guide from setting to first week
Learn how to set eggs under a broody hen, isolate her safely, candle at day 7, and care…
12 min read
How to incubate chicken eggs: a day-by-day guide from setting to hatch
Day-by-day incubation guide covering temperature, humidity, turning, candling on days 7 and 14, lockdown on day 18, and…
12 min read
How to break a broody hen (gently, and without wasting weeks of eggs)
Step-by-step guide to breaking a broody hen using the wire crate method, egg removal, and other gentle techniques,…
10 min readNot sure how big to build?
Slide to your flock size and get the coop, run, roost and nest-box numbers in seconds, sized to university-extension standards.