The BEST Chick Setup We've Ever Tried | Raising Day Old Baby Chickens | Backyard Egg Laying Hens 

We had the same set up! You can fit the tent inside a kiddie pool.

I get chicks late summer, like August when it’s really hot. I set aside 5 days as “brooder days” where I’m at home for the most part. I set my chicks in a sunny place on the back porch and watch the thermometer so they stay between 80-90 and to make sure they aren’t showing signs of heat distress. I’ll move them into the shade if it’s a very hot day. I’ll bring them inside and cover their brooder box with a towel at night (in a room with no A/C). Once they’re done trading out their fuzz for real feathers I move them to a growout pen where they spend the rest of the summer outside. I integrate them into the main run and coup once they’re big enough to hold their own against the older hens. That’s how I get out of providing heat to my chicks. They finish maturing through the winter and are at point of lay just in time for spring. It works out great.

My family has always wanted chickens, and we are thinking about moving to have more land for animals. This video helps!!😊 edit: I moved to a place with 2 acres. 🎉

Can you please do a video showing daily care with this setup? How do you clean it out? ❤

Press’n Seal wrap for the brooder plate works great. Just replace the wrap every couple of days. We have this same setup and it works great. Love your videos.

I used a large dog crate I had for a while. Then zip tied those annoying plastic signs you find peppered all over town to the sides. (I cut then until they were halfway up) Works perfect!! The plastic dog tray at the bottom keeps leaks off floor etc. Use the large side door to clean out the coop. PERFECT!

I got my first baby chicks today and am using your set up. Thank you for all of your videos. I picked one person to follow because of all the different info out there and you were the one. :)

I took your suggestion and bought one of these small animal playpens. GAME CHANGER!! They stay in the pen and still have room to practice their flying skills. Not so much dust everywhere. Thanks so much for the idea. Great videos

Just ordered our first chicks ever!! Your content gave me confidence to go for it!

Thank you for your videos, we really enjoy them, and they have been super helpful in educating us. We are new to chickens in general, just got our first ones as babies (2 day old) from our local feed store yesterday (9 Easter Eggers and 3 Rhode Island Reds). We are using the same setup that you suggested here (our tent is 45" wide), and there is plenty of room for them. All of them are doing super well. One thing we noticed is that because we got our chicks at our local feed store, the feed store taught them how to drink with the gravity fed waterers, and it took a bit of time yesterday for the chicks to be ready enough to drink and curious enough to understand drinking from the nipple waterer. If anyone else is doing this, just have some patience and keep coming back. I would peck at the nipple with my finger and then with the water go to their beak and one by one they started to slowly get it. It probably took about 1/2 the day before they were all drinking from it, now they are pros :)

I enjoyed your video. My wife and I are mid 70s on 10 acres as a homestead. We raise larger quantities of chick >25, so have not brooded them indoors. We are using a 2'x4' brooder in an unheated barn. That presents a problem in Michigan (~28F today). We use two 250 watt heat lamps with a controller that keeps them at the correct wattage to hold the right temp and two so that we save the chicks if one fails. We do straight run with about half roosters. They get harvested in the fall. We find Rode Island Reds will produce eggs all winter with some artificial lighting. This process has worked for many years. I think you have expressed a lot of wisdom for your type of having chickens. We do not domesticate our birds. They are to have a good life in our care and then be part of our food system, same as our other farm animals. I appreciate all the good information you share with your videos.😀

OK, I’ve done this two years in a row now, and it still is the easiest set up. For mine, I use those silver trays that you use underneath a big hot water heater down inside the tent to put all of their food and water on that way if there’s a spill it’s not going everywhere. Such an easy set up!

We use the puppy playpen for our goslings and the chicks. It works really well until their mess starts to be bad. At that time, I move them to a coop with a run. I also put the water and food on cookie sheet to minimize the mess.

Changed our setup to a rabbit cage that uses a dropping tray. We put a piece of half in hardware cloth in the bottom and cut a hole in the top for easier access and wrapped the sides with cardboard or plastic panels. A heat lamp sits nicely on top and can be secured with a piece of wire. No more litter at all or spilled food or wet from water. All the mess goes through the floor into the trays. We use the nipple with cups so water isn’t waisted as much. Rabbit feeders work good for chick feed too. So much better that scooping gross stuff out if a tub brooder.

Glad Press n Seal on the brooder plate. Rip it off when dirty. Reapply. YES!

We just started our chicks last week! We moved to 1.5 acres last summer so we can have small animals. I’m so excited

Thanks for the great ideas! We are in Wisconsin also! Last time we had chicks I used a big tub with a lamp and a normal chicken waterer. What a mess! I just made an Amazon order for the heat plate, the zipper brooder and chick water nipple box you have!!

A cardboard empty tp roll is a toy chicks love Thank you for this review! I never thought of this set up ! I’m in

my babys come tomorrow.This is my first time with chickens and your videos have been very helpful.keep them coming

*me sweeping my floor for the 12th time today * YOU are a sanity saver! Ordering now!

You have become my teacher in all-things-chickens. Every video of yours that I've seen is so informative and so full of personal lessons and anecdotes that I'm using your methods in my plan. (I've got just a few on order and I'm new and in BC where it's still cold overnight in May - lots to learn!) Thank you for your super videos and enthusiasm for raising chickens.

Ok glad I waited and built my list of supplies as i watched a few more videos. Thanks for the info.

I wish we could post pics! Thank you for this! We followed this set up and LOVEEEE it! I love how much room they have to run around!! My first hatch had 15 chicks and they all fit in great, I now have my second hatch of 10 plus two Silkie babies I bought and they also have lots of room to play!

baby chicks are the cutest little things ever and their chirps are so wholesome, i wish i could have some but i have two cats so im afraid

I just want to say a big ‘thank you’ for all your chick videos! You have helped my husband and I have confidence to get chicks for our kids. We watch every night on our smart TV and our picking up chicks today 🐣

Thanks so much for your channel! I've learned so much and really appreciate the time you've taken to help the rest of us starting out.

Just got my first ones, two weeks old. I’m learning a lot from your channel. Thank you.

I bought the rent a coop waterer and feeder. Have had the feeder longer and it seems like they like it. We’ll see how the waterer goes. Hopefully they get the waterer as well. The brooder plate I love. We just hang it and have one side more elevated then the other side so they can pick a side and how warm they want to be. Thanks for the suggestions. They really helped.

I really appreciate your videos! I am expecting my first chicks in May & all of your knowledge is helping me prepare. Thank you!!

I recently upgraded my brooder set up as well. I was using a standard cardboard box that was pretty decent size. Now I am using a pack n play child crib. So much more space. The netting around it makes for great air flow. We bought 2 isa browns and 2 blackrocks that are just about 4 days younger than our two Easter eggers and three silkies. Allows me to put two perches and spread the water and feeder out a bit more. The chicks seem to enjoy the size

I cut several pieces of cardboard to fit the top of my brooder heater. Attached it with a couple pieces of duck tape. This keeps the top of the heater clean and it’s very easy and quick to change out.

Would like to know more about your cleaning routine with this setup, approx how often and what your process is? When and how do you transition the chicks?

We just got our first ever chicks today!!! They are adorable!!! We got this same brooder thanks to watching your videos!! We had no clue what to do, so thank you!!!!🐥🐣🥚

Wow, love the setup. Your videos are so helpful for a beginner chick raiser. Thanks

I’m getting baby chicks today I’m really happy to get them 🐥

You are on the right track. I like the swimming pool myself but went with the baby crib for a while. The hover brooder is a great thing to have and highly approve. Good Job and God Bless!

I have used this set up before and it works great. As far as keeping the heat plate clean on top I have seen people cover the top with the saran wrap, the press and seal kind. The top doesn't get hot so I think it would be safe as long as the chicks don't peck at it.

We had a couple of buff Orpington hens and one of them was by far the most loudest hen we’ve had..out of olive eggers, black Australorps and Easter egger. They are pretty though!

Thank you so much! Your links helped me get your exact set up. Watching again to figure out the water dispenser. I so appreciate you sharing your experience and expertise!

Awesome Video! Thanks for sharing. I just started with chickens so I watch to learn. been watching your videos for a while. Love the information you provide!

I’m definitely trying this for my hatch that’s coming up. Thank you for the advice!

I want to thank you for your videos. Am new to chickens and pushed to do it more worried about supply chain issues. After reading about the care I almost didn’t do it because we were so overwhelmed and thought it was too difficult. When I came across your videos you simplified so much and made it seem doable. After seeing this setup I decided to try it. 2 days ago we received our 8 new baby chicks. We have a big round table (I have 3 large dogs so floor not an option lol) that we keep it on against a wall of windows. Some other sites they kept saying we would need a smaller space or they wouldn’t be able to find the heated pbrooder plate or the water the first couple weeks so I was going to block some off but there has been no need. as soon. As we put them in with the water food some fat sticks and the heated plate and after letting them loose I put them under plate as they came out I dipped beak in water then in good then watched them running around I would randomly take one back to heated plate and within 30 minutes they were running around eating drinking playing and then back undervplate. It has worked perfect and they use every bit of the space running around and playing so it’s been perfect the water bottle with the nub/nipple thing was sold out so I have the one that they drink around and has worked out fine so far. They sleep sound with no noise once they go to bed and all stay under the heated plate so I am guessing it’s warm enough. Thanks again for all your videos on chickens has been wonderful and has made having the chickens so much more doable

In my waterer i use braggs mountain vinegar and deluited liquid faulvic acid minerals. I also sprinkle a very small amount of organic kelp meal in there food. This works very well for me

I love Buff Orpington chickens. So sweet. Mine have never been broody, are good layers and follow me around.

This is a good one! I used one of those fold up baby gates, but this looks so much better because the bedding can’t go flying 😂

Holy crrrrap!!! I LOVE this setup! I have a pen like that that I used for my dog when he was a puppy, so perfect!!

I used a playpen last year and I LOVED it!

Putting press and seal cling wrap on top of heater keeps it clean

Thank you so very much for taking your time to help us with Learning about chickens.

Love this broader plate. This is my 3rd group of chicken I used it on. I do the same way as you I set mine on an incline.

They are so precious 😍 Great set up

I’m watching this for probably the third time, but today I’m watching because it is chick day! I copied this setup and am so glad. it sounds like it will take the mess out of raising chicks. This is our first time getting chicks, your channel has helped me prepare and learn. I’m also in Wisconsin, so your info is so applicable. Thx! 😊🐓

Thank you! Ours arrive in a couple weeks and I’m learning a lot from you!

THANK YOU FOR THIS ‼️‼️‼️ I haven’t had chicks since I was a little girl… Long long long long long time ago, Lol. I’m getting them soon. But I’m going to order everything below as you recommended. Thank you so much.

Really good setup . Simple and efficient .

Your chikis are so cute!!!! 😍 they look very happy running around in their pen ❤️

I love your videos !! I am getting chicks this spring for the very first time ( had chickens when I was a kid on the farm but never chickens as an adult ) We ordered 6 to start with ..it’s just my boyfriend & myself ..we love fresh eggs and have family that we can give the extras to !! We are going to build the same coop that you guys have now (the white one ) and today I’m going to check out these new items that you shared in todays videos !! Great info !! Oh and my chicks are all going to be Rhode Island reds and I will be getting them june 16 !! We also have a fur & feather event in our local town where I’m hoping to pick up one or two specialty breeds 😎 I see how I’m going to be addicted to this as well 🤷‍♀️🐥🐓🐣🐥

I bought the Brinsea Ecoglow 20 600. It came with a clear plastic cover for the top of the brooder. It is removable for cleaning. They also sell replacement plastic covers.

Great setup.... I want to raise chickens I'm searching first for knowledge. Thank you.

I'm diving into this head first tomorrow; picking up 4 chicks from TSC. I actually bought this brooder a few days before I saw this video so very happy to hear that it's a solid choice. I also picked up the nipple drinker but have both kinds just in case. Not sure about the brooder heater. I got the 12x12 in error, meant to get the 10x10, but it does not get past 90 and that's in one hot spot. I may get a different one from TSC depending on what they have.

All my chickens are 8 months and laying now, and still love the wet food treat you mentioned 😅

Very neat set up! Thank you for sharing ♥️ 🐥

I just watched this video today. I immediately ordered a playpen for the chicks I have coming. Before I used huge cardboard boxes with a screen lid. It was always a mess. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this. Thanks so much

Brilliant! The tent is such a great idea!!

I want chickens so much but we aren't able to yet, so I live vicariously through your videos 😅 Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience! 🐤🐤🐤

We are using this too! It's so nice!

Thank you for sharing your experience and your all videos very interesting and there is much for learning and to raise chicken. Stay blessed and live happily 😊 🙏

What a great video! SO-SO helpful!!

Yes my Buff Orphentons. Went broody, good layers and were my friendliest.

I got this set up and luckily I got the waterer because even though they had a standard water bowl where I got them they weren't using it when I got them home and the one from Amazon like you have arrived and they love it.

Thank you for the great videos your videos have been extremely helpful to my family as we are totally new to chickens and my wife and I are city kids lol.

Thanks for the waterer advice. I have a similar set up bought and ready on advice from a chicken expert friend. Last time I used a big cardboard box with chicken wire top. It got stinky and gross quick. I feel like an expert now. My babies arrive mid May. So excited. I only get chicks about every three years so I’m not rushing to invest in a fancy heater. My friend raises chick year round and she advises a small heat pad with a thermostat and puppy pee pads instead of bedding. I’m curious how that will work. Maybe easy to clean but more wasteful? I like being able to compost all things chicken. Anyway, I really appreciate your videos! Thanks.

Awesome,thank you.As always great content

TIP IF YOU DO THIS SETUP*** 1) I put puppy pads under the shavings then I can roll them up from the outside in and just toss it!! Makes the cleaning done in under 5 min! 2) the 16x16 Rural365 brooding plate and it fits the rent a coop brooder cone of same size (but more expensive) so they can’t poop on top of it! And when my chicks moved outside I was able to spray it all down with the hose (the tent) to clean and dry in sun on my laundry line ! It’s

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS!

I used a heat/brooder plate, but my chicks were hardly leaving under it. I gave it a day or two, and their behavior hadn't changed, so I bought a cermanic bulb emitter (reptile) and used it with the brooder (one on each side). Instant behavior changer. Suddenly they were running outside of their plate and "basking" underneath it. It must have been too cold for them to be out without the cermanic emitter. So, just be prepared to change strategy if the chicks need it. I ran brooder plate 24/7, raising height as needed, but had to add in a closer led bulb and cermanic heat emitter (used inside a parabolic reflector like the infrared heat bulbs are) based on their behavior. They get like 500F, as so you still have to be careful with what they come in contact with. I day/night cycled the led bulb and cermanic bulb so it would be like the sun to them. Having a heat gun is useful, so you can check the temperature of various spots. There should be a warmer side and a cooler side, so the chicks can self regulate and not die. I kept moving the bulb up a bit every week so the temperature would lower and they could acclimate to temperatures better. I ended getting a 2 person tent for my chicks - around 2-3 weeks there just wasn't enough room in large plastic tote I had, and I felt bad. I moved the heat plate over to tent, so they still had that while they feathered. It worked great. It was a Coleman tent I bought used/like new from Amazon around 20-25$. Just don't expect to use the tent for people afterwards - chick nails scratched some small holes which would let water in and it had a smell. (Chicks were in there from around a month). I did daily weigh ins for my chicks to monitor their weight (each had a banded color). I would handle each 2-3x a day for 10-60mins depending on age. I did the wet mash with them and they are super friendly chickens. They run over towards me if they see me - even if I'm looking at them my office window two stories up.

I love this, I think it will keep down the dust too

These chicks are so precious 💕 I'd love to have chickens one day

Wow, I love that. I like to have my brooder in the living room. You can play with the chicks while watching TV 😀

I love the idea you shared with the brooder how hard is it to clean up ❤ I have White Orpington chicks and they're already to big for the over sized tub I have for them . Thanks sharing your video 👍👍👍👍♥️🗝️

I decided to use concrete backer board to wrap my 2x4 framed Bruder and it’s worked out great!

Thank you so much for this video! Great help.

My favorite chicken breed is the Cochins, very friendly and they tend to stick close to the hen house.

Great set up!

I’m first!!!! Omg baby chicks!! I love ur channel

Just bought this thanks for info

You could always( if you really want to be thrifty) get a child's mesh playpen from a Thrift Store and put a tablecloth across the top for a cover and plastic sheeting under the shavings. God Bless!

Hi! This is super helpful thank you - will you use the tent like brooder until they move outside or will you move them into something bigger as they grow? If yes what will you transition them into and about what age? thank you! Love your videos and podcast.

Love the playpen I use this to

Just found your channel! I love the set up. I actually already have a pet playpen like this but never thought about using it for chicks. I'd usually drag a big heavy horse trough inside to brood my chicks in. I plan on trying your idea. I also just purchased the waterer and the chick brooder after watching your video. I always used the heat lamps in the past, but constantly worried that my chicks would either get too hot or too cold, not to mention the fire danger. I have a very small incubator that I've hatched chicks, chicken, turkey and guineas,before. I just placed 9 eggs in it a few days ago. I do want to get some of the buff orpington chicks. Thank you for your content! You have a new subscriber.

I used an incandescent bulb, a seedling heat mat, and a 24 hr (high/low) thermometer/barometer in our brooder so I always knew the temperatures near the heat source. Stuff I already had, and worked great. Brooder was just a giant clear tote, with another identical tote upside down on top of it. Used small pieces of furring strips as roosts and to elevate the second tote for ventilation. Worked until they were big enough to go into a dog kennel/not need heat, before the coop.

Awesome video!! Thank you!!

Very cute chicks! I did notice pasty butt/pasty vent on some of the chicks bottoms, if not removed they can die from not being able to poop. It sadly happened to an open to the public farm I used to work at with their chicks because they weren't aware of how serious it can become. Treatment is relatively easy and tutorials can be found online. I love the playpen idea you have for the chicks, great for indoors! Thanks for your video.

That metal feeder that you have for your chicks is better used with a mason jar. I’ve had a lot of issues On trying to fit the plastic jars on them but the mason jars work great!

So helpful! Ty 🤗🌿

Nice work!

For the heat plates I always tape a puppy pad on top. I get them at the dollar tree and if just cut them to the right size.

I bought this tent but in a different color! Mine says that it is water proof but I haven't tested it yet. Im so glad you shared this. It's soooo much better than a plastic tub and I love that I can move them around easily

I'm a beginner when it comes to raising chicks so this vid is really a huge help. Thank you very much. Just ordered a tent play pen and brooder plate. Although I'm having a hard time finding a nipple water feeder that comes with a tank in pet and poultry stores here in the Philippines. :(

Your two chick videos are the most helpful I’ve found as we wait for our first few to arrive this week! Do you think this waterer would work with babies fresh from their shipping box?