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Keep newly hatched chicks at 90–95°F (32–35°C) at chick level for the first week, then lower the temperature by about 5°F each week until the chicks are fully feathered, usually between 5 and 8 weeks old. Enter your hatch date in the tool below to see this week’s brooder temperature and the right feed.
Key Takeaways
- Week 1: 90–95°F (32–35°C) at chick level.
- Lower the heat about 5°F (3°C) each week.
- Heat can come off once chicks are fully feathered (5–8 weeks) and the brooder matches room temperature.
- Feed starter for 6–8 weeks, grower to about 18 weeks, then layer feed.
Chick Temperature & Feed by Age
Enter the hatch date (or pick the age) to see the brooder temperature and feed your chicks need this week.
| Age | Temperature at chick level | Feed |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 90–95°F (32–35°C) | Chick starter, 18–20% protein |
| Week 2 | 85–90°F (29–32°C) | Chick starter |
| Week 3 | 80–85°F (27–29°C) | Chick starter |
| Week 4 | 75–80°F (24–27°C) | Chick starter |
| Week 5 | 70–75°F (21–24°C) | Chick starter |
| Week 6 | 65–70°F (18–21°C) | Chick starter |
| Weeks 7–8 | No extra heat once fully feathered | Switch from starter to grower between 6 and 8 weeks |
| Weeks 9–17 | No extra heat | Grower, 14–16% protein |
| 18 weeks + | No extra heat | Layer feed (about 16% protein, 3–4% calcium) at 18–20 weeks or at the first egg, whichever comes first |
Watch the chicks more than the thermometer: huddled under the heat means too cold, crowded against the far walls means too hot, spread out and pecking means just right. Meat breeds such as Cornish Cross need different feed. Sources: UNH Extension, Oregon State Extension, Extension Poultry.
Watch Your Chicks, Not Just The Thermometer
A thermometer on the brooder floor under the edge of the heat source gives you a starting point, but the chicks tell you whether it is right:
- Huddled together under the heat: too cold. Lower the lamp or plate, or add heat.
- Pressed against the walls, away from the heat, panting or holding wings out: too hot. Raise the heat source.
- Spread out, eating, drinking and chirping softly: just right.
Give the brooder a warm zone and a cooler zone so chicks can move to the temperature they need.
How To Lower The Temperature Each Week
Drop the temperature about 5°F (3°C) a week. With a heat lamp, raise it a few inches; with a heating plate, raise the legs one notch so the chicks have more room underneath. Check the chicks’ behavior an hour after each change.
Chicks feather out faster in cool weather, but chicks hatched in winter or early spring usually need heat for longer than late-spring chicks because the room around the brooder is colder.
Heat Lamp Or Heating Plate?
Heat lamps get very hot and are a well-known cause of brooder and coop fires. If you use one, hang it with a chain or wire as well as the clamp and keep it well clear of bedding and walls. A brooder heating plate works like a mother hen: chicks go under it to warm up and walk out when they are warm, and it runs far cooler than a lamp.
When Can Chicks Go Without Heat?
Once the chicks are fully feathered, with no fluffy down left, and the brooder is at room temperature, they no longer need extra heat. Most chicks reach that point between 5 and 8 weeks old. Move them to the coop gradually, starting with warm days, before they sleep outside full time.
Chick Feed Schedule By Age
- Hatch to 6–8 weeks: chick starter with 18–20% protein.
- 6–8 weeks to about 18 weeks: grower (or developer) feed with 14–16% protein.
- 18–20 weeks or first egg, whichever comes first: layer feed with about 16% protein and 3–4% calcium. Layer feed’s extra calcium is meant for hens that are laying, so don’t switch early.
Keep clean water in front of the chicks at all times. These guidelines are for laying and dual-purpose breeds; fast-growing meat breeds such as Cornish Cross need a different feeding plan. See how much starter feed each chick eats to plan how many bags to buy.
