Chick Brooder Planner
Get a dated week-by-week brooder plan with temperature targets, floor space, feeder and waterer counts, heat lamps or plates needed, and the brooder exit date.
Free · no account · works on mobile · embeddable
Best for new chick owners, small farms brooding layer or broiler chicks, and 4-H and school projects. Updated .
Your chicks
Week by week
| Week | Dates | Temp at chick level | Floor space | Feeder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 20 to Oct 26 | 95 F | 6.3 sq ft (0.25 each) | 25 in |
| 2 | Oct 27 to Nov 2 | 90 F | 12.5 sq ft (0.5 each) | 25 in |
| 3 | Nov 3 to Nov 9 | 85 F | 12.5 sq ft (0.5 each) | 50 in |
| 4 | Nov 10 to Nov 16 | 80 F | 18.8 sq ft (0.75 each) | 50 in |
| 5 | Nov 17 to Nov 23 | 75 F | 18.8 sq ft (0.75 each) | 50 in |
| 6 | Nov 24 to Nov 30 | 70 F | 25 sq ft (1 each) | 50 in |
Temperature starts at 95 F at chick level and drops 5 F per week (Minnesota and Penn State extension). Floor space = chicks × sq ft per chick for that week; feeder = chicks × 1 in, then 2 in. Lamps = chicks ÷ 80, rounded up. Planning figures only; this tool does not replace a thermometer at chick level or a vet for sick chicks.
About the chick brooder planner
Chicks arrive on a date, and everything after that follows a schedule: 95 F the first week, 5 F cooler each week, more floor space and feeder length as they grow, and a day when the heat goes off and they move out. This planner turns your chick count, arrival date, bird type, and heat source into a dated week-by-week table, the number of heat lamps or plates to set up, waterers and feeder inches for the first weeks, and the brooder exit date.
It is for anyone setting up a brooder, from a first box of six chicks to a farm brooding a hundred broilers.
Temperature and space by week
University of Minnesota Extension says to start chicks at 90 to 95 F measured 2 inches off the floor under the heat, then reduce by 5 F per week until they no longer need heat; Penn State Extension says to supply 95 F at chick level under the heat source and decrease it 5 F per week. The planner starts at 95 F and steps down to 70 F by week 6 for layers.
Floor space for layer chicks follows Penn State's table: 1/4 sq ft per chick in week 1, 1/2 sq ft in weeks 2 to 3, 3/4 sq ft in weeks 3 to 5, and 1 sq ft from week 5. Minnesota's simpler rule is 1/2 sq ft per chick from day 1 to 6 weeks. The broiler profile follows University of New Hampshire Extension's broiler guide: 1 sq ft of floor per bird for the first month, doubling to 2 sq ft after that, with the heat fixture removed at 5 weeks, when UNH says the birds are developed enough to do without it.
Heat, water, and feeder space
Minnesota Extension says one 250 W infrared lamp is generally enough for 80 chicks in a 50 F room, so the lamp count is chicks ÷ 80, rounded up; a colder room needs more lamps and a warmer one fewer. Heat plates are rated by their maker, so enter your plate's chick rating and the planner divides by it. Minnesota also gives one 1 gal water fountain per 50 chicks for the first 2 weeks and 1 linear inch of feeder space per chick at first, increasing to 2 inches at 2 weeks.
Every figure is a planning number. Watch the chicks: spread evenly and quiet means the temperature is right, huddled under the lamp means cold, pressed to the edges and panting means hot.
Worked example: 25 layer chicks arriving March 16
25 layer chicks arrive Monday, March 16, 2026 (enter your own arrival date; the tool opens on today's date), under a 250 W heat lamp. Week 1 (March 16 to 22) targets 95 F and 1/4 sq ft per chick, 6.3 sq ft in total, with 25 inches of feeder; week 2 drops to 90 F and 12.5 sq ft; week 3 to 85 F with feeder space doubling to 50 inches; week 4 to 80 F and 18.8 sq ft; week 5 to 75 F; week 6 (April 20 to 26) to 70 F and 1 sq ft per chick, 25 sq ft. One lamp (25 ÷ 80, rounded up) and one 1 gal fountain cover the flock. The chicks leave the brooder after 6 weeks, on Monday, April 27, 2026. A batch of 100 broiler chicks on heat plates rated for 50 would need 2 plates, 100 sq ft for the first 4 weeks rising to 200 sq ft in week 5, and leave after 5 weeks.
Sources
- University of Minnesota Extension, Raising layer chicks and pullets. Start chicks at 90 to 95 F and reduce 5 F per week; 1/2 sq ft per chick to 6 weeks; 1 inch of feeder per chick rising to 2 inches at 2 weeks; one 1 gal fountain per 50 chicks for 2 weeks; one 250 W lamp for 80 chicks in a 50 F room. Accessed Sep 4, 2026.
- Penn State Extension, Brooding of domestic fowl. Supply 95 F at chick level, decreasing 5 F per week; floor space of 1/4 sq ft per chick in week 1, 1/2 sq ft in weeks 2 to 3, 3/4 sq ft in weeks 3 to 5, and 1 sq ft in weeks 5 to 8. Accessed Sep 4, 2026.
This calculator gives planning estimates from the numbers you enter. It is not accounting, tax, veterinary, or legal advice. Replace the defaults with your own farm records whenever you have them.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a chick brooder be?
About 95 F at chick level for the first week, then 5 F cooler each week: 90, 85, 80, 75, 70. Measure 2 inches off the floor under the heat, and let the chicks' behavior override the thermometer.
How much space do chicks need in a brooder?
About 1/4 sq ft per chick in week 1, 1/2 sq ft by weeks 2 to 3, 3/4 sq ft by weeks 4 to 5, and 1 sq ft by week 6 for layer chicks. New Hampshire Extension gives broilers 1 sq ft each from day one, doubling after the first month. Twenty-five layer chicks therefore start in about 6 sq ft and finish in about 25.
How many chicks can one heat lamp keep warm?
Minnesota Extension's figure is about 80 chicks per 250 W infrared lamp in a 50 F room. In a cold garage plan on fewer; in a heated room one lamp covers more. Always hang lamps from a chain, not the clamp, and keep them well clear of bedding.
When can chicks leave the brooder?
Layer chicks are usually fully feathered and off heat around 6 weeks; broilers around 4 to 5 weeks. If outdoor nights are below about 50 F, keep a heat source available for another week or two after the move.
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