The 48-Hour Chick Arrival Checklist

Before the box arrives: brooder at 95 F at chick level. Measure this — do not assume. A hardware-store thermometer at chick height (1 inch above bedding level) is the only reliable way to confirm temperature. Waterers pre-filled and at room temperature (not cold). Feed (chick starter crumble, not pellets) in feeder. Bedding: pine shavings 2 inches deep, or paper towels for the first 3 days if you want to confirm chicks are eating feed rather than bedding.

At arrival: open the box immediately, regardless of the time. Count birds and note any dead-on-arrival. Photograph everything before moving birds. For each chick, hold it gently and dip its beak into the waterer — one dip is enough to teach most chicks where water is. Set them under the heat source.

First 4 hours: observe without handling. You are watching for two positive signs: chicks moving freely between the warm zone and the cool zone (healthy thermoregulation) and chicks finding and eating the feed. You are watching for two negative signs: all chicks piled in a tight ball under the heat source (too cold) or all chicks pressed against the walls away from the heat source (too hot). Adjust heat accordingly.

24-48 hours: add electrolytes to the water (poultry electrolyte packet from any farm store, $2-4). Do not add vitamins, apple cider vinegar, or probiotics simultaneously — simplicity matters in the first 48 hours. Begin offering chick starter continuously. If you see any chick standing with its head drooping, eyes partly closed, and not moving to food or water, it is in trouble. Separate it to a warm quiet location and offer warm water via dropper every 30 minutes.