Day 19 with ice storm on its way-

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Any suggestions if we lose our electricity? We have a woodstove (I have yet to use! We've had it checked out and its in great shape though and we have wood ready)- should I just take the incubator to a warm spot and cross my fingers? I am so stressed about this!

(It is common for the electricity to go out here during bad weather- we are in the hills)

How long can they last at a lower temp? Is there anything I can do to help?? Help!!

Thanks as aways!

 

[bargain]

Okay, first off (have a few blankets ready to drape over the incubator if the power goes off......Now, be sure that you will be home so that if the power comes back on, the eggs do not get overheated)...

Also, I would unplug that incubator when blankets are on it....they should last for around 6 hours at least okay this way.....

I would move the incubator if you can, to be near the wood burning stove ...if you should need it as a heat supply..but not too close so that the heat from it will be a back up if the power goes out for a long while. In fact, I would try to device a way maybe something like put the incubator on cardboard that could be gently moved closer or further away from the stove depending on the temps.

We have a generator and have had to run it for incubator before...Do you know anyone with a generator?

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Thanks for the ideas- I don't know of anyone with a generator I can use- but that is something to consider in the spring.

 

[muddstopper]

OK, you have a wood stove and you have wood and its winter time and you dont have a fire already?. I find that wrong right there. We cut our electric bill in half by installing a wood stove. I also realize its a personal choice, so I am not going to critize to badly. My wife actually bought the stove and huals in the wood to feed the stove because I am not at home most of the week. I just have to cut, hual and split it small enough for her to handle. She likes the house hot so she keeps the fire going. I could probably hatch eggs laying in the middle of my living room floor on the carpet. LOL

Now off my high horse. When you get a fire built in the stove, take a thermometer and try to find a suitable distance away from the stove where the temps dont get to hot and yet doesnt allow temps to be to cold and Move your incubator there. Wood stoves get hot and cool down as the wood is burnt up inbetween fillups. You will just have to keep a close check on the temps inside the incubator and let nature run its course. There have been lots of eggs hatched in boxes placed near a wood stove. I have seen my grandmaw do it. You are at day 19 so your almost home, With close monitoring of your incubator temps, you should do fine.

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

Ok, don't laugh... We don't know how to light a fire in the woodstove and we are scared we will burn down the house. It is sad, I know- neither my dh or I have been exposed to starting (or mantaining) one. And to make matters worse, we started collecting oak from our property (dh borrowed a chain saw-which he'd never done also), so we have a nice stack going. Its like we are infant homesteaders (you should have heard my family when I announced we were getting chickens- lol- they can't understand why we have a garden, make soap, etc, when you can just get it from the store).

I won't let these eggs go if we loose the power- I will try my best and put these ideas to work!

Thanks everyone!





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[wildorchid053]

ok, we only used a wood stove for heat for over 25 yrs. we used to live in a development in the city. if your stove is in a corner you can rig up a stand of some kind to have above the back of the stove.. like a shelf and monitor your heat.. if it isn't too hot you can use it for your incubator..we used to dry jerky that way.. it was warm and slow. if you are on a flat wall. maybe you can try a temporary shelf there.. we used our steal rack in the oven for the shelf..it was about 3' above the back of the stove and worked great..just monitor where the best temp is... and as far as starting a fire.. we used to insert a log straight in and to the side some.. then lay two pieces across the one.. like lincoln logs.. then two more across those.. like building a log home with lots of air gaps so the flames could get around each log on all sides. then light newspaper .. you have to let it have tons of air.. we left the dampers open and the door cracked and it would draw in air . they also make wax/ sawdust bars for starting fires now.. they are about 10" long and we broke them in half. it was plenty to start a fire if your wood is dry. once your wood is really going strong you can close the top damper 1/2 way if you have one and the bottom air drafts just a bit open and the fire should last at least 3-5 hours.. it burns up faster the more air you give it.. for the night we closed all the air then reopened them just a 1/4 of a turn to let it sort of simmer and it would give off heat all night with nice coals in the morning to start up again. since we have moved to the country our power goes out all the time.. good thing we built our home with a whole house generator.. best investment ever! good luck with your babies

 

[Fourgirlsoneboy]

A few questions- I don't see a damper on the top section, only down below in front. Is that normal? It also has a built in fan- can we still use the stove without the fan? (As in no electricity). Can I use firestarters we've made (recycled candles, pencil shavings)? We have campfires outside all of the time, so I understand the log cabin idea! THANK YOU very much for the info!!

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[Akane]

Grab a couple empty small water tight containers. If you lose electricity for long enough to cool the bator (it takes hours) you will most likely want to start the stove anyway so just use it to heat up some water, pour into the containers, and put them in the bator like how people used to use hot water bottles under the sheets all the time. I can get my incubator to 100F in minutes that way. I learned to do that when I had a broody killed and needed my incubator at temp now. I had it up to 90F before I even got it plugged in. Also leaving sealed containers of water in there all the time will help buffer the temp so it changes slower and recovers faster after opening but that's not always possible with a turner or lots of eggs. Water doesn't lose temp as quickly as air and will heat small areas of air without harmful smoke that might kill your chicks. I know some people have hatched with eggs near a wood stove but any amount of smoke seems like it would be harmful and styrofoam bators near heat sources especially open flame seems like a fire hazard. My insurance company already won't pay for my house if I leave a wood stove setup so it could run. The only downside is you do have to reheat the water regularly but if the house isn't cooling too much you could probably buy yourself 6-8hours before you had to heat it up again and the woodstove will need wood more frequently than that along with monitoring the eggs closely to make sure they aren't getting too cool or hot as the fire in the stove changes.

 

[lady and her girls]

The wood stove thing.
inside the center of the stove stack some small sticks in a log cabin style like a small square. start little till you feel more confident. inside the square add a handfull of shredded news paper- in short strips, bunch them and them put small little twigs in there too. with a long nosed lighter or long matches light a tail of the paper and closes the door(s).

Theres little door(s) on the stove (( damper(s) )) open one slightly to create a draft. wait till your sticks are going then place a little wood at a time till you feel comfortable with its size stay small till you get the hang of it

rules 1. sleep with the stove dampers closed.
2. once it enters the stove leave it in there-start small and keep small fires.
3. keep fires in the back or center of your stove depending on type.
4. dont put anything cold on the stove it can explode or create scalding steam or worse break your stove.

I am sure there is more to know but this is a start. I use pot holders when working near a hot stove and I add wood a couple of pieces at a time and make sure your wood will fit before you add it!
carefull and you will be fine. think small at first.

 

[Ban seabhag]

We had the power go out here for 14 hours during my first attempt at hatching. So we powered up the generator. Some of these ideas will be useful for the next time (inevitable) and we use a wood stove exclusively. I was just worried that the temp would fluctuate too much. The hot water bags I do wish I'd thought of.