Baby chicks with no power!

[melschulte]

Hi guys! I have 14 baby chicks hatched on January 20th. With the freezing rain we are without power and are unable to use our brooder lamp. I have a wood stove, but the brooder cannot be moved next to it at this point, so I have a small kerosene heater next to it heating up one pat of the metal wall. I am also heating rocks in a cast iron on my wood stove to put under the brooder to warm the floor. So far the temp in their brooder is still about 80 degrees (for about 2 hours now). Does anyone have experience with this / suggestions or comments? Argh... I just want to make sure they are warm enough and this is my first go at chicks.

Thanks!

 

[jessica1982]

Not sure if you have any of this. But I found this online.


http://simplethrift.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/lesson-718-saving-chicks-when-the-power-goes-out/

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi guys! I have 14 baby chicks hatched on January 20th. With the freezing rain we are without power and are unable to use our brooder lamp. I have a wood stove, but the brooder cannot be moved next to it at this point, so I have a small kerosene heater next to it heating up one pat of the metal wall. I am also heating rocks in a cast iron on my wood stove to put under the brooder to warm the floor. So far the temp in their brooder is still about 80 degrees (for about 2 hours now). Does anyone have experience with this / suggestions or comments? Argh... I just want to make sure they are warm enough and this is my first go at chicks.

Thanks!

If your kerosene heater is emitting fumes they can be very harmful to your young chicks, Birds are very sensitive to fumes of any kind. That said I wish I knew what would help other than keeping them close to the wood stove. If you can keep the brooder at 80 with 14 chicks they should be okay. This is when a generator would come in handy, we were without power for a week once due to winter storm and soon as we could bought a generator, handy things to have in an emergency. Hope your power comes on soon.

 

[Mehjr10]

Can you put some of the rocks in the brooder with a covering, for them to get close too? Then swap them out with warm ones when they cool.

Or heat water in a pan with a lid or fill a jug and place inside the brooder.

 

[pwand]

If your power remains out for a length of time, it would be best to bring them near the stove. You will drive yourself crazy trying to keep them warm.

 

[melschulte]

Thanks guys. I am going to try the candle in the pot idea and if I have to will move the brooder if I have to. It is a really large brooder that I actually have to take out the window to get down the stairs. I have them upstairs because that is usually the warmest and least drafty with the wood stove. They seem pretty comfortable at this point, especially with the rocks inside their brooder in a pillow case. I am worried about the fumes as well though... Thanks for the tips everyone / hope the power comes on soon.

 

[OScarlet]

Can you heat water? If so, what about a towel wrapped hot water bottle?

 

[pwand]

Any chance you have an empty aquarium to use temporary. Rubbermaid container. Just ideas. Hope your power comes on soon.

 

[melschulte]

I do actually have a rubber maid container and am boiling water on the wood stove to put in a container in the brooder. The temp is now at about 78 at their level in their brooder. Does anyone know about what the lowest temperature is that I can safely keep them upstairs at 3 weeks old? I am getting the rubber maid ready now so I can move them next to the wood stove if needed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I do actually have a rubber maid container and am boiling water on the wood stove to put in a container in the brooder. The temp is now at about 78 at their level in their brooder. Does anyone know about what the lowest temperature is that I can safely keep them upstairs at 3 weeks old? I am getting the rubber maid ready now so I can move them next to the wood stove if needed.

The smaller the space too will keep them warmer, especially when snuggled together. It's usually rule of thumb 1st week 90 second 85 third 80 but with 14 you can probably fluctuate a bit .