3 Ways to Raise Baby Chicks: A Practical & Heartfelt Guide
Last updated on December 11th, 2025 at 08:40 pm
Are you ready to turn your backyard into a self-sustaining mini-farm? Adding backyard chickens is one of the best first steps for families embracing a homesteading lifestyle. Spring is the perfect season to welcome baby chicks, and local feed stores are full of those adorable peeping fluff-balls. When I first started this journey, my biggest question was simple: How do I raise baby chicks?
Raising chicks is a rewarding experience that teaches patience, responsibility, and stewardship—values that sit at the heart of faith-based, family-centered living. Yes, challenges come with anything worth doing, but the joy of gathering fresh eggs, raising animals with your own hands, and watching your children bond with their flock far outweighs the bumps along the way.
Today, let’s walk through three tried-and-true ways to raise chicks so you can choose what works best for your homestead.
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1. Raising Chicks by Hand in a Brooder (Most Common Method)
This is the method most beginners start with—and the one I first learned to raise baby chicks. When you bring home chicks from a feed store or hatch your own in an incubator, you’ll need a proper brooder setup to keep them warm, safe, and thriving.
Brooder Essentials
- A secure brooder box (covered with wire mesh to keep curious cats out!)
- A red 250-watt infrared heat lamp hung about 18 inches above the floor
- Clean bedding like peat moss, shredded paper, coarse sand, or straw
- Fresh water, chick starter feed, and chick grit
We’ve always built our brooders using pallets or scrap lumber—simple, sturdy, and perfect for the garage. We hang our infrared lamp from the ceiling beams, avoiding clamp lamps altogether.
Temperature & Light
- Keep the lamp just high enough that the chicks stay warm without overheating.
- Continuous light for the first 48 hours helps them find food and water.
- After that, natural daylight is enough if your brooder gets good sun.
Too much heat can be deadly—anything above 117°F can quickly become dangerous.
Cleanliness & Space
- Clean the brooder weekly to stay ahead of disease.
- As chicks grow, give them at least 6 square inches each to prevent boredom and pecking.
Food, Water & Grit
Use a proper chick waterer to prevent drowning or spilled bedding. I always add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon of water to support gut health. Keep chick grit available 24/7 in a separate feeder.
Raising chicks by hand is a beautiful way to bond with them—you’ll learn their personalities, quirks, and pecking order right from the start. What a more indepth post on raising chicks this way? Check out this post.
2. Letting a Broody Hen Raise Hatchery Chicks (A Natural, Stress-Free Method)
If you want an easier, more natural method to raise baby chicks—but still prefer to pick exact breeds—you can buy chicks from a hatchery and let a broody hen adopt them. (This is my favorite way!)
This involves:
- Watching for one of your hens to go broody (she puffs up, growls, and sits on the nest all day. She will not move unless you force her to).
- Ordering or buying day-old chicks.
- Sneaking them under her after dark. Waiting until dark helps trick the hen in thinking her eggs have hatched.
- Grab an egg from under the hen and then place the chick under the hen gently. Repeat until you have all your chicks under the hen.
- 2-6 chicks is ideal for one hen.
A good broody hen will take those chicks as her own—warming them, teaching them to forage, and protecting them far better than any heat lamp could.
Why I Love This Method
- No brooder setup
- No heat lamps
- Less feed waste
- Chicks learn “chicken instincts” quicker
- Your broody hen feels fulfilled and busy
Buff Orpingtons—our favorite breed—excel at this. They’re gentle, affectionate “lap chickens,” wonderful mamas, and make natural additions to any homestead aiming for sustainability.
If you’re hoping to grow your flock more naturally without committing to a rooster yet, this method is a perfect middle ground.
3. Letting a Rooster and Nature Take Its Course (The Simplest & Most Sustainable)
For those who want the most hands-off to raise baby chicks, homestead-traditional approach, nothing beats letting nature do the work.
With a healthy rooster (and hopefully a nice rooster) and a few nurturing hens, your flock will do what God designed them to do: hatch and raise their own babies. No incubators, no heat lamps, no stress.
Benefits of This Method
- Zero equipment needed
- Extremely natural flock dynamics
- Stronger immune systems in the chicks
- Hens raise their babies with little to no human intervention
I always remind new homesteaders: If you want a truly self-sustaining flock—one that replenishes itself year after year—this is the method that makes the most sense long-term. You simply provide a safe coop and let your animals do the rest.
Downside Roosters can be mean and you may want to separate them from the flock when you are done breeding
Bonus: Choosing the Right Breed for Your Homestead
With over 1,000 chicken breeds worldwide—and more than 100 recognized in the U.S.—selecting the right breed makes a big difference.
Consider:
- Purpose: Egg production, meat, or dual-purpose
- Climate: Heat-tolerant vs. cold-hardy
- Temperament: Gentle or flighty
- Space: Large breeds vs. bantams
- Egg size: Standard vs. large vs. bantam
Our family is love Buff Orpingtons for their gentle nature, strong mothering instincts, and versatility. They’re perfect for beginners and families with kids.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re raising chicks in a brooder, under a broody hen, or by letting nature take its course, the journey is deeply rewarding. Being able to see baby chicks following the momma hen around is the sweetest or being able to pick up baby chicks from the brooder is fun as well. It truly connects your family to the rhythm of creation, teaches responsibility, and strengthens your homestead’s sustainability.
If you want a deeper dive into chicken care, I recommend Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens—a wonderful, practical resource we’ve leaned on for years.
And before bringing home your new flock, make sure to check your city or county’s backyard chicken regulations.
Your Turn
How have you raised baby chicks on your homestead? Do you prefer hands-on brooding or letting your hens do the work? I’d love to hear your experiences, tips, and questions in the comments below!
