Milestones: Learning to eat, drink, and explore their brooder. Sleeping a lot but also active in short bursts.
Care: Keep them in a warm brooder at 90-95°F with a heat source. Ensure they have clean water with probiotics/electrolytes, starter feed, and baby chick grit if they are eating anything other than crumble (like tiny treats or greens).
Week 2-3: Feather Growth & Exploration
Milestones: Wing feathers developing; starting to flutter and hop.
Care:Lower brooder temp by ~5°F per week (so aim for 85-90°F in week 2, then 80-85°F in week 3).
Food & Water: Still on chick starter feed. You can introduce occasional soft treats (like scrambled eggs or finely chopped greens) with chick grit.
Week 4-5: Feathering Out & Curious Behavior
Milestones: Growing tail feathers, becoming more independent.
Care:Brooder temp around 75-80°F. If they’re in a warm area, they might not need supplemental heat during the day.
Milestones: Almost fully feathered. Can regulate body temperature better.
Care: If nighttime temps are above 50°F, they can transition outside. Ensure their coop is predator-proof.
Food & Water: At 6 weeks, you can start phasing in grower feed if they’re not staying on starter until 8 weeks. (Grower feed has less protein than starter but supports steady growth.)
Week 8-16: Adolescence (“Pullets”)
Milestones: Combs & wattles begin developing. Some early egg-layers may start showing interest in nesting areas.
Care: They’re now fully adjusted to outdoor life and can free-range or explore a run.
Food & Water: Switch fully to grower feed. No layer feed yet—it has too much calcium for growing birds!
Week 16-20+: Preparing for Laying
Milestones: Hens may start squatting when touched (a sign eggs are coming soon).
Care: Provide a nest box with soft bedding and encourage them to check it out.
Food & Water:Switch to layer feed around 18-20 weeks, when they are close to laying. Introduce free-choice oyster shell for calcium.
