Sage grouse chicks hatch in the first two weeks of June. The sage grouse hen usually lays about eight eggs. It usually takes 37 days from the time the first egg is laid until the eggs hatch. Sage grouse chicks look like baby chickens when they are born. They have brown feathers and within an hour of hatching they can run around and find their own food. They eat with their bills. Baby sage grouse eat beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and other bugs for the first twelve weeks. By the end of the summer, the chicks start to eat weeds, grass, and sagebrush. The mother takes care of the chicks. Sage grouse chicks grow very fast. By September, the young birds grow new feathers. The young birds need to put on weight in order to survive the winter and to be healthy for breeding in the next spring.

This is a photo of a sage grouse chick.

This is a drawing of a sage grouse chick.