Poultry Brooding Calculator & Raise Healthy Chicks
Sets up brooding for broiler chicks
Set up your brooder right — enter chick count and age to get the recommended temperature, floor space, feeders, drinkers and heat lamps for raising strong, healthy chicks.
For 500 chicks at week 1, give about 13 m² of floor, hold the brooder near 35°C, and set out 20 feeders and 7 bell drinkers (or 42 nipples), with 2 heat lamp(s).
Next: pre-heat the brooder before chicks arrive, give clean water (with glucose/electrolytes on day one), and reduce the temperature ~3°C each week until they're feathered and on ambient. Provide round-the-clock light early on.
General guidance for chicks — adjust for breed, season and house type, and always read the bird's behaviour over the thermometer.
Brooding — key facts
- Week 1 temp
- ≈ 35°C (95°F)
- Reduce
- ~3°C per week
- Off heat by
- ~week 5–6 (feathered)
- Week 1–2 density
- ≈ 40 chicks/m²
- Feeders
- 1 per ~25 birds
- Bell drinkers
- 1 per ~80 birds
- Heat lamp
- 1 (250 W) per ~250 chicks
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
The first weeks decide the flock
Day-old chicks can't regulate their own body temperature, so brooding — providing steady warmth, space, feed and water — sets up the whole flock's health and growth. Get the temperature right (about 35°C in week one, easing roughly 3°C a week) and chicks feed, drink and grow evenly; get it wrong and they chill, pile up, or pant and dehydrate. This tool gives the target temperature for the age you select and sizes the floor space, feeders, drinkers and heat lamps to your chick count.
Numbers are a starting point — the real check is the chicks themselves: evenly spread and active means the brooder is right, huddling means cold, edges and panting means hot. Pre-heat before they arrive, give clean water (with electrolytes on day one) and a quality starter feed within the first hours, keep near-continuous light early on, and reduce heat gradually. Pair this with the Poultry & Egg Profit Calculator once the birds are laying.
Set the temperature
Get the right brooder temperature for each week so chicks stay comfortable and grow evenly.
Size the space
Work out the floor area your chicks need at their age to avoid crowding and piling.
Provision feed & water
Get the number of feeders and drinkers so every chick can reach feed and water easily.
Plan the heat
Estimate how many heat lamps you need during the brooding weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature should a chick brooder be?+
Start at about 35°C (95°F) at chick level in week one, then reduce roughly 3°C each week — 32°C in week two, 29°C in week three, and so on — until chicks are feathered and comfortable at ambient (about 21°C) by around week six. This tool shows the target for the age you pick.
How do I know if the temperature is right?+
Watch the chicks, not just the thermometer. Huddled together under the heat means too cold; spread to the edges and panting means too hot; quietly active and evenly spread means it's just right. Adjust the lamp height or temperature to get an even spread.
How much floor space do chicks need?+
Space needs rise with age: roughly 40 chicks per m² (0.025 m²/bird) in the first two weeks, easing to about 20/m² by week four and 10/m² by week eight. The tool multiplies your chick count by the right figure for their age.
How many feeders and drinkers do I need?+
As a guide, one round feeder per about 25 birds and one bell drinker per about 80 birds (or a nipple per ~12 birds). The tool gives the numbers for your flock; provide a little extra early on and make sure no chick has to travel far to feed and drink.
How many heat lamps do I need?+
Roughly one 250 W infrared lamp per 250 chicks during the brooding weeks, adjusted for your house and climate. The tool suggests a count while chicks need supplementary heat (about the first four weeks) and drops it once they're feathered.
When can chicks come off heat?+
Usually by around five to six weeks, once they're well feathered and the brooder target has eased to ambient temperature. Reduce heat gradually rather than suddenly, and watch behaviour during cold nights before removing it completely.
What should chicks drink and eat on arrival?+
Give clean, cool water immediately — with a little glucose or electrolytes on the first day to combat transport stress — followed by a good-quality chick starter feed. Make sure every chick finds water and feed within the first few hours.
How much light do chicks need?+
Near-continuous light (about 22–23 hours) for the first few days helps chicks find feed and water, then it's gradually reduced. Use gentle, even lighting; avoid bright spots and deep shadows in the brooding area.
Does this work for both broilers and layer chicks?+
Yes — the temperature, space, feeder and drinker guidance applies to brooding chicks of both types. Broilers grow faster and reach higher densities, so re-check space as they grow and follow your breed's specific guide.
Is this a substitute for a breed management guide?+
No — it's practical general guidance to set up and run a brooder. Always follow your chick supplier's or breed's management guide and a vet's advice for vaccination, biosecurity and health.