Brooder basics: heat, water, and the first 21 days

Livestock

Brooder basics: heat, water, and the first 21 days

Keep chicks warm, dry, and drinking. Brooding is a thermal-care stage, not a miniature adult coop.

Staff · 2026-09-18 · 1 min read

Brooder basics

The first three weeks decide mortality. Chicks cannot regulate heat yet.

  • Start warm; lower heat as they feather. Spread-out chicks are comfortable. Huddled chicks are cold. Panting at the edge is too hot.
  • Fresh water before feed. Check drinkers morning and evening.
  • Dry litter. Wet patches cause chill and infection.
  • Do not mix ages in one brooder.

Log deaths and culls every day. A spike on day 3–7 is a housing or water problem until proven otherwise. This is not a dosing guide.

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