They could very well eat whatever little morsels given to them and walk around after hatching. Very young chicks though will need a heat source. In place of the mother hen, that provides the heat by gathering them under the wings, you will need a lamp as their source of heat. You will also want a place to keep them. Observe also the kind of grass that the chicken feeds on when they have a sour crop so you can chop the grass into smaller sizes and feed this to the chicken to treat the sour crop or when a similar problem occurs in the future. Once a month, mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to every liter of water in the chicken's water supply. THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT The general well being of a chicken starts with the environment. While it's true that chickens adapt real well to both cold and hot weather, constant exposure to harsh climates can still get the best of them. That's why a coop or a hen house should be set up, while making sure that it's well ventilated and free from draft. Chickens are less likely to keep on moving around in darker places. Dark nest boxes keep the chicken relaxed. When hens are less agitated they are less likely to trample on eggs. Limit also the number of chickens in a nest box. A typical nest box could accommodate four hens. Less hen for every nest box is better. Ample Spaces In designing a chicken coop the normal method for chicken raisers is to allow 3 to 4 square feet of space per chicken. The correct space will provide the chicken enough room to mill about and to keep them more productive. Chickens are very social animals, they enjoy having other chickens around, but they could also be cranky. While having these handsome, brassy, noisy, aggressive characters to have around your hens is an attractive choice, the hens are quite content not having a rooster that keeps mounting them as they can lay eggs without the help of the rooster. Chickens are sociable birds. They want to hang around each other most times and cuddle around each other on cold days.