If you start with day-old chicks, your first major milestone is six weeks. These fluffy nuggets need a brooder—a warm, safe box—with a heat lamp set at 95°F that drops five degrees each week.
You’ll spend these weeks as a kind of poultry parent, checking waterers and watching for “pasty butt.” Fun fact: baby chicks communicate with their mothers from inside the egg—a soft peep that tells mom when to turn them.
By week four, you’ll notice feathers replacing fluff. This is the “ugly teenager” phase, and your patience starts paying off.
Practical Tip: The Brooder Timeline
Day 1–2: Chicks eat, sleep, and huddle. Week 3: They start perching on the waterer edge. Week 6: Move them to the coop (if nights are above 50°F).
Don’t rush this step. A cold chick is a sad chick, and nobody wants a sad chick on their Instagram feed.
