Honest Look At Raising Chicks
Two weeks into raising baby chicks, and WHOA—what a ride! 🐥
I had no idea raising baby chicks would be this enjoyable AND exhausting.
In just two weeks, I had an escaped chick sprint right at me, saw the not-so-pretty reality of pasty butt, and learned firsthand just how dramatic these tiny fluffballs can be when it’s bedtime.
And that’s just the beginning—they had their first outdoor adventure and heat changes because they’re growing feathers fast.
All in all, these first two weeks have been a mix of surprises, learning curves, and way too much cuteness.
The Great Escape
So, we had a moment with an escape artist…
An adventurous little chick escaped the brooder and sprinted straight at me. Here’s what happened ⬇️⬇️
😳 One second, everything’s fine.
The next—LOUD, panicked chirping.
I check the brooder… one, two, three, four—Wait. Somebody’s missing.
I call Tiger (the escape artist) and tap the box, thinking she’s under the heater plate.
The chirping gets LOUDER—more desperate.
Then, out of nowhere, this tiny chick comes flying at me, full speed! 😭💨
I screamed. No, I really screamed. 😆
Lesson learned: These little ones are fast and curious.
And they grow SO fast too.
When we first got them, they couldn’t even jump. Actually, I don’t remember them jumping at all.
Now? They’re jumping, hopping, flapping their wings and plotting their next great escape. 😆
Not surprising at all—because baby chicks double their hatch weight in just one week.
And by week four, they can be seven times their original size.
Pasty Butt Patrol
I wrote about this last week.
But if you’re new here, a quick recap can get us on the same page.
👉 Pasty butt happens when poop sticks to a baby chick’s vent (right under the tail). This literally stops them up and blocks them from going to the bathroom. If left untreated, it can be fatal. 🙁
Since I knew this could happen, I checked our chicks’ vents every day—just to be safe.
And yep, a few needed some cleanup. Not pretty, but necessary! 😅
Thankfully, it was NOT hard to fix.
Tap this link and learn to clean pasty butt the right way.
Even better news? You can help prevent pasty butt in the first place!
PREVENTING PASTY BUTT:
1️⃣ Give Them Space.
✅ Overcrowding = stress, and stress can lead to pasty butt.
2️⃣ Keep Them Warm.
✅ Not too hot, not too cold! Extreme temps can cause it.
3️⃣ So Fresh and So Clean.
✅ Dirty bedding screams bacteria. Daily spot cleaning helps!
4️⃣ Feed Them Right.
✅ No treats until 18 weeks— just quality starter feed for now.
5️⃣ Good Airflow.
✅ Fresh air = less moisture + bacteria → Lower risk of pasty butt!
First Trip Outdoors
I read that at two weeks old baby chicks can have short, supervised trips outside—so we gave it a try!
Some were brave and didn’t want to stop exploring.
While others stuck close like total homebodies.
But taking our baby chicks outside is a big deal because we want them to be comfortable when they move to their coop (in 6 to 12 weeks).
✅ We want our chicks to feel confident outside
✅ We want them to feel the fresh air and natural light
✅ We want to encourage natural behaviors like scratching and pecking
⚠️ Heads-up: Always supervise!
Chicks are tiny, curious, and easy prey.
Learning to Perch
Our chicks are getting bored in the brooder—or at least, that’s how it feels!
They’ve figured out when we’re nearby and chirp LOUDLY for attention.
And bedtime? My baby chicks are terrible just like a two-year-old.
Oh, they protest—with loud chirps—when the lights go off. 🙄🙄🙄
To keep them busy and encourage natural behaviors, I added a flat piece of wood for perching.
Their first attempts? Wobbly, uncoordinated, and 100% adorable. 🪵🐤🥹
Changing Needs: Heat
As baby chicks grow, they need less heat.
When I saw our chicks sleeping away from the heater plate, I knew it was time to adjust the height.
If you use a heat lamp, adding a thermometer helps monitor brooder heat. This can help you avoid overheating or chilling your baby chicks.
What I Learned About Heat Adjustments:
✅ Watch them: Huddling under heat? Too cold. Avoiding it? Too hot.
✅ Gradually reduce heat: Each week, baby chicks need less warmth.
✅ Adjust the setup as they grow: What worked week one might not work in week two.
Up Next: Dust Baths
Apparently, chickens love a good spa day—aka, dust baths.
And from what I hear…dust baths are non-negotiable because…
✅ Chickens don’t wash in water, they bathe in dust.
✅ Dust baths keep their bodies and feathers clean.
✅ That’s why dust baths help chickens stay clean and pest-free.
Future Setup. We’re building a safe outdoor enclosure. Inside, they’ll have room to roam with a kiddie pool filled with fine sand, loose soil, and herbs from our garden (like lavender and eucalyptus). From what I read, I can even add wood ash, charcoal and food-grade diatomaceous earth to the mix.
For Now Setup. A small aluminum pan with dry soil will work just fine!
Final Thoughts
I knew raising chicks would be work—that’s why we planned a year before getting them.
But I’m SO glad we did. Raising baby chicks is messy, surprising, and absolutely worth it.
My family is all in, helping out and enjoying the process. For now, we’ll keep watching them grow, learn their personalities, and prepare for their move to the coop.
YAY. I’m SO READY for moving day. 🐥
One more thing! Maybe you’re trying something new, too…
I pray your new adventure brings you more joy than you expect and imagine. Mean that.
I’ll share more updates soon. Follow @LolaCabaya on social media for updates and pictures! 📸✨
👋🏽 Hi, I’m LOLA ⸻ the creator of offbeat life advice brand, The Smoking Prophet, owner of a growing content agency, and cultivator of life (family first)!
Most days, you can find me at my desk, in my garden, or on the go. My super-social family keeps me on my toes!
Follow The Smoking Prophet to ignite your creativity, grow spiritually, and blaze your own trail online!
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