Obviously, you need a place to put the chicks. Creating a cozy, secure, and spacious home is very important.

First of all, chicks must stay warm. I used a heat lamp for the first two rounds of chicks we brooded. DO NOT USE HEAT LAMPS because they are flammable, and therefore dangerous (and I did not know that!!). Now I use the Brinsea Ecoglow (links for the products I use are below). It is amazing! It's 100% non-flammable, and completely safe! 

For the brooder itself, I use a dog playpen. The chicks can stay in it until they move outside (about six weeks; the temperature has to be at least 65 degrees). There are so many other options for a brooder that works (such as a cardboard box or a rabbit cage), but the playpen is my personal favorite. 

A chick feeder can be found at your local farm supply store, or at Tractor Supply. I buy medicated chick feed, because it helps prevent sicknesses and keeps the chicks healthy. I got the waterer on amazon. The waterers that they sell at farm supply stores get really dirty really quickly. I use a chick nipple drinker, which never gets dirty! It conserves water, since you don't have to dump and refill it three times a day. 

For bedding, I use pine shavings (they can be found at any farm supply store). The bedding should be at least two inches thick in the brooder. Every two days, sprinkle a few handfuls of the shavings on top of the existing bedding. Surprisingly, this method keeps the brooder cleaner! 

Now that the essentials have been covered, you can be creative! Add a homemade perch (I use a boot scraper!) or make your own "jungle gym" with rocks and sticks! As chicks get older, they get more adventurous. Another good thing about the puppy playpen is that the chicks can't fly out of it (there is a mesh cover).

Links to the Supplies: