Chicks are Arriving at Your Nearby Coastal

Keeping Chicks Happy and Healthy

Fall is almost here, and chicks are arriving happy and healthy at your nearby Coastal Farm & Ranch. Days before they get to your store, it’s all hands on deck for our employees who care for the tiny, sweetly chirping chicks. The care and attention doesn’t end there. Once they get to the store, a new set of Coastal experts care for and nurture the chicks as they find their way home with you.

Chicks Get TLC at Coastal

As the chicks arrive, their brooding tanks are already cleaned and disinfected, bedding is down, their water is at room temperature, and the heat lamps are set at 95 degrees. Everything is perfect. After that, we go through a checklist that includes:

Change the bedding/litter twice a day (early morning and right before closing). We use wood chips or shavings, but never cedar shavings that can be harmful.

Coastal tip: When you get your chicks home, you’ll want to give them a nice, safe place to live for the short term. This can be a small cage, simple box, or plastic bin with a hole cut in the top. Be sure to change the bedding as necessary. You’ll find more in Caring for Chicks.

Adjust the heat lamps daily. We watch the chicks closely to ensure they are getting the right amount of heat. If they are huddled together under the lamp, we turn it up a few degrees. If they are avoiding the lamp, we turn it down.

Coastal tip: When you get your chicks home, turn heat lamps down 5 degrees every week to get them ready to go out into the real world. Usually in about 8-10 weeks.

Hydrate EVERY chick. The minute chicks arrive we introduce each one to their water source. Employees add Chick Boost to the water. This ensures chicks get the vitamins, electrolytes, and probiotics they need to grow into healthy adults. We then clean and refill waterers every day and fill as needed.

Coastal tip: Make sure your chicks have fresh water every day. Adding Chick Boost or other vitamin and probiotic additives can help with growth and health.

Keep them fed. Feeders are cleaned and refilled every day. We use Chick Starter for our chicks, and Flock Raiser for the turkeys and waterfowl.

Coastal tip: There are plenty of food options for your chicks, from medicated, non-medicated, and organic. Just ask and we’ll show you all the options.

Give them plenty of attention. While the chicks are in the store, we look after them often. That way you can go home with a nice, healthy chick.

Check Out Some Chick Basics

Coastal Has Chicks

Stop by your nearby store and see why the arrival of the chicks is one of our favorite times of the year. While you’re there, pick up everything you need, from bedding and waterers to heat lamps, feed, and supplies. We can even answer all of your chick and chicken raising questions.