The Ultimate Guide For How To Raise Chicks!

If you’re wondering how to raise chicks and give your backyard flock the best start possible, you’re in the right place. In this video, Stoney Ridge Farmer takes you step by step through the process of setting up a brooder and caring for 50 newly arrived baby chicks. Whether you’re a first-time chicken keeper or looking to improve your setup, you’ll gain valuable insights from real farm experience to ensure your chicks thrive in a warm, safe, and healthy environment.

In this detailed and informative video, Josh from the Stoney Ridge Farmer YouTube channel shares a comprehensive guide on how to raise chicks, focusing specifically on how to properly set up and manage a brooder for 50 newly arrived baby chicks. The video begins with Josh unboxing the day-old chicks, which have just arrived from McMurray Hatchery, and introducing them to their temporary home. From there, he walks viewers through every critical step of brooder setup, including selecting the right container (a 100-gallon rubber livestock tote), laying down pine shavings for bedding, and arranging heating elements like a traditional heat lamp and a low-wattage brooder plate to simulate the warmth of a mother hen.

Josh emphasizes the importance of maintaining the right temperature (ideally around 100°F under the heat source) and demonstrates how to use a laser thermometer to monitor this. He discusses the pros and cons of different bedding types and explains how to ensure the heat lamp is safely positioned to avoid fire hazards. Feeding and watering are also covered in detail—Josh introduces specific feeder types that reduce waste and demonstrates how to prevent drowning by adding driveway gravel to the chicks’ water dish.

Throughout the video, Josh provides a variety of tips and tricks he’s learned through trial and error, offering practical advice to both new and experienced poultry keepers. He talks about when to transition chicks to larger feeders and waterers, how to keep the brooder clean, and even what to do with used bedding to benefit your garden or farm. Josh’s laid-back, encouraging style makes the information approachable and easy to follow, while his focus on animal welfare and efficiency ensures viewers can feel confident in their chick-raising journey.

This video is an excellent resource for anyone interested in backyard farming, homesteading, or simply learning how to raise happy, healthy chicks from the moment they arrive.