How to Set Up a Brooder for Chicks

Getting a brooder setup right for chicks is not complicated, but it does require each of the key variables to be in place before the birds arrive, not after.

Game bird chicks cannot regulate their own temperature; they have no hen to guide them to feed or water. The stress of hatching and transport means they land at your site already under pressure. The way the brooder is set up in those first hours has a direct bearing on survival rates, growth evenness, and long-term flock performance.

Early losses rarely come from disease. In most cases, the cause is simpler: temperatures that drift overnight, bedding that holds moisture, or drinkers that the birds can’t find. These are not difficult problems to solve, but they are easy to overlook when setting up quickly at the start of a season.

This guide covers the key essentials of a brooder setup for chicks, including heat, bedding, nutrition and layout.

Heat Is the One Thing You Cannot Afford to Get Wrong

Consistent, reliable heat is the single most important variable in any brooder setup for chicks. Game chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature in the early days, which means the keeper is entirely responsible, and getting it wrong has direct consequences.

The National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS) identifies temperature variability as the primary risk to game chick survival: swings between cold nights and warm days lead to chilling and dehydration, the two most common causes of early mortality. The target bedding surface temperature is 32°C. Above it, chicks stop feeding and drinking; below it, they huddle and fail to grow evenly [1].

Alke gas brooders are widely used in professional game rearing because they deliver consistent heat across the brooding area and are fitted with flame failure shut-off valves as standard.

Thermostatic models such as the AP2 offer greater precision in smaller rearing sheds; the Global 5 or 10 is suited to larger brooder houses.

Thermostatic Gas Brooders automatically adjust the heat output to maintain your desired temperature, reducing gas consumption and ensuring optimal conditions for your chicks. The pilot light keeps the burner operating with minimal gas usage when the desired temperature is reached, providing both efficiency and cost savings.

NADIS recommends matching brooder output to house size, as an oversized heater makes it difficult for chicks to find the right temperature zone.

You do not wants chicks to be too hot or too cold!

Use a laser thermometer to measure the bedding surface temperature directly, rather than relying on ambient readings. Chick behaviour remains the most reliable indicator: birds at the edges are too hot; birds huddling in the centre are too cold. An even spread, with birds moving freely and feeding, is what a well-managed brooder looks like in practice.

Alke Gas Brooders are tested in Holland before being packed & dispatched

This will give you peace of mind that your investment will deliver the heat your chicks need from day 1.

All spare parts are also in stock, year round from Collins Nets should your brooder need any TLC!

Why Damp Bedding Kills Chicks and How to Prevent It

Good chick bedding options do two jobs:

1. They insulate chicks from the cold ground.
2. They absorb moisture to maintain a hygienic environment.

Choose an Dry Disinfectant Powder to sprinkle on the bedding floor.

• Gamestay Ultra Dri -25 kg Bulk Sack
• Pearce Ultra Breathe Disinfectant – 25kg

These specialised dry disinfectant powders which can be used in all areas of your poultry enclosures, this powder has great absorption qualities & can absorb up to 7 times its own weight, as well as drying, this powder neutralises odours and designed to address both hygiene and respiratory issues (Ultra Breathe) in animal housing.

Both matter, and poor litter management is one of the most preventable causes of early health problems.

NADIS recommends bedding deep enough to keep chicks off damp ground and block floor-level draughts, both of which contribute to chilling in the critical early days.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Code of Practice for the Welfare of Meat Chickens requires litter to be dry and friable at all times, identifies poor litter quality as a direct cause of hock burn and foot pad lesions, and sets out that litter must be inspected frequently, particularly under drinkers and near walls. White wood shavings remain the practical choice as they are absorbent, easy to source, and straightforward to assess for dampness. Chopped straw compacts more quickly and offers less absorbency. Avoid fine sawdust, as it poses a respiratory risk to young chicks [2].

Lay bedding to at least 5cm before chicks arrive, then check daily. Remove damp patches without delay and expect a full change within the first week, depending on stocking density and drinker management.

Also, before chicks arrive, it is also worth checking your disinfectants and biosecurity supplies. Clean drinkers and freshly disinfected equipment reduce the bacterial load in the brooding environment from day one.

What to Feed Game Chicks in the First 24 Hours

Feeding chicks for early nutrition is about access as much as it is about quality. A chick that cannot locate feed or water within the first few hours of arrival is already behind, and the knock-on effects carry further than most keepers expect.

NADIS notes that game chicks arrive on site with no hen to show them where to eat or drink, which is why feed provision must be dense and well distributed from the outset. Scattering feed on chick paper laid over the bedding works well for the first few days, as it disintegrates naturally by the time chicks are feeding confidently from trays. NADIS also highlights that chicks can survive up to 72 hours without food by drawing on their yolk sac, but this depletes an immunity reserve intended to protect against disease rather than fuel basic survival.

Providing feed and water to chicks early is directly linked to disease resistance and long-term growth.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) notes that protein is the most important component of a healthy feed. For game bird chicks, use a purpose-formulated starter crumb with a protein level appropriate to the species.

Keep drinkers clean, topped up, and free of faecal matter at all times [3].

Get the Basics Right Before Your Chicks Arrive

A good brooder setup for chicks requires preparation. The birds that perform well in the rear are usually those that were fed early, stayed warm through the first night, and were never competing for space or water. Getting those conditions in place before delivery day is the job.

Before your chicks arrive, work through this checklist:

• Heat source tested and stable at the target temperature for 24 hours prior to arrival.
• Bedding laid evenly & dry.
• Feeders and drinkers filled, positioned, and within the warmth zone.
• Brooding house checked for floor-level draughts and ventilation confirmed.
• Spare bedding, feed, and biosecurity supplies on site before delivery day.

Collins Nets has supplied gamekeepers, estate managers, and poultry rearers across the UK for over 35 years, stocking everything needed for a well-prepared brooder setup. You can count on us for everything from Alke gas brooders and game bird feeders to automatic drinkers and poultry incubation equipment.

Call 01308 485422 or use the contact form to discuss your brooder requirements before the season starts.

External Sources

[1] The National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS), Alison Colville-Hyde, VN PGCert, Brooding Game Birds: https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/game-birds/brooding-game-birds/

[2] GOV.UK, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Code of Practice for the Welfare of Meat Chickens (2024): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/poultry-on-farm-welfare/broiler-meat-chickens-welfare-recommendations

[3] The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT), What’s in Your Chicken Feed? (2023): https://www.bhwt.org.uk/blog/health-welfare/whats-in-your-chicken-feed/