REARING OF DAY-OLD CHICKENS Rearing chicks, while very rewarding, requires a lot of extra care and attention if they are to thrive. It is critical for day-old chicks to be vaccinated against Marek’s Disease and Infectious Bronchitis Virus, and this should be done by the commercial supplier before you take them home. Chicks should be reared for at least the first 3 weeks inside a draught-free enclosure, on clean, dry litter material (such as wood shavings or rice hulls), with a heat lamp or heater positioned so that the temperature at the level of the litter is 32o C to 35o C. You should decrease the temperature gradually, aiming to reach about 21o C-24o C at 3-4 weeks of age. Once the birds are fully feathered, at around 5 or 6 weeks of age, they’ll be able to tolerate lower temperatures. Remember that a chick’s beak is tiny and the feed should be appropriately sized. If you scatter the feed on paper around the feeders and drinking points for the first 24 to 48 hours, the young chickens will learn how to access their feed and water. We recommend using a water dispenser rather than a bowl, so that your chicks are not at risk of drowning. YOUR CHICKS WILL NEED EASY, UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO FRESH WATER AND A BALANCED FEED. PART 3 ESTABLISHING YOUR OWN HOME FLOCK 32 | THE CHOOK BOOK