Badly timed power outages. :(

[SilverPhoenix]

A little background:

My first hatch produced two chicks, mostly hatched by my broody hen. There would have been a third and possibly a fourth and fifth, but after finding a pip in one of the eggs one morning, I came home in the evening from class to discover the power had been out for four or five hours and my three eggs had died from the cold.

It was very sad opening up that egg with the pip in it to find the beautiful little chick, ready to hatch but dead...

Determined, I put five more serama eggs in the incubator after that. I put the five eggs in lockdown last night and was excited for the hatch, and then I woke up at 4 AM to discover the power had been out for a while. 85% humidity, 84 degrees in the incubator.

I took the eggs and stuck them under my broody with chicks, but a few hours later she had pushed two of the five out from under her and they were fairly cold. The power came back on so they're in the incubator again, but... I'm so annoyed that the only power outages we've had are right around hatch day, and when I'm not home or sleeping! It's devastating. It was only raining lightly, there wasn't even any good reason for the power to go out. I'm still hoping I might get a chick or two out of those eggs, but I'm not holding my breath.

I lost one of my beautiful new hens unexpectedly and sadly a few days ago, so I was really looking forward to this hatch to help cheer me up and take my mind off her death. I'm feeling so frustrated that the power keeps going out at the worst possible times.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Sorry to hear about your hen and power outages. Been there just got hope for best

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

We have them also and it drives me nutso.

for hearty babies who survive.

(go ahead and

- it wont help the power but it sometimes helps me feel better

)

 

[IggiMom]

Yes, we here in WV are having power outages because of the storms.

I can't help for when you leave, but at night, I have a little "sound soother" going. This is a white noise machine that makes the sound of wind or rain or a train, whatever, you pick it. Walmart has them.

The thing is, if the power goes off, the sound soother will go off, and just the noise stopping will wake you up, unless you sleep very soundly.

It wakes me up.

Then there are some things that you can do to keep the eggs warm until the power comes back on.

Catherine

 

[Pathfinders]

Quote:
That's a really great idea! Going to go Google one now. Thanks Catherine.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Thanks for being understanding, everyone! I'm so glad I have people I can vent to who understand the disappointment of losing eggs.

After all, they're almost chicks! I'm really hoping my babies pull through. I guess only time will tell, and if they don't make it...well, there's always the next batch, I suppose. At least I didn't pay for these eggs, they were just out of my own hens. Still sad, though, right when lockdown began...

I love the idea of the sound soother! I may have to look into one of those. I am fairly sensitive to changes in sound (in fact, I may have woken up because the incubator went off, though I woke up later than I would have liked) even when sleeping, so that might be a thing for me to try out. Great idea!

 

[jnetwk]

I wish I could send you some sunshine from Louisiana. We are expecting freezing rain and snow for thurs. and Friday.

OH Please don't let us have a power outage. (I wonder how my hubby would feel about me attaching the generator to bator enstead of freezer.

Hope your next batch comes out Great!