Dealing with power outages and less than week old chicks

[dpresk01]

With the storm coming up on the East Coast, I'm really worried that our power will go out, leaving my 4-5 day old babies without a heat lamp. I've seen people recommend hot water in bottles and bricks, but is there any other advice I should know about?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do a search on a hover. That's basically a shallow inverted box a bit off the floor that they can get under. Hot air rises. If they will stay under the hover, their body heat will help keep it warm.

 

[seramachick8]

I would recommend keeping them in a fairly small cage and adding old t-shirt type items to hold in heat

 

[NJchixs]

Yes just be ready to put them in a more confined area to keep themselves warm. I have 25 four day olds and in NJ. We have a generator so I don't anticipate not having my heat lamp. Good luck during the storm, hopefully it won't be as bad.

 

[dpresk01]

Thanks everyone! And NJchixs, I'm in NJ too, near AC. I'm only two blocks from the ocean, so I'm REALLY hoping it isn't that bad!

 

[NJchixs]

Thanks everyone! And NJchixs, I'm in NJ too, near AC. I'm only two blocks from the ocean, so I'm REALLY hoping it isn't that bad!

Wow your really close. Did you have to evacuate last time? If you anticipate having to do so pack what you can for them (and yourself) and the heat lamp in case you find some power or generator. I'm in Jackson, I wish you where closer, I would take them for you if power became an issue till yours was back on.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks everyone! And NJchixs, I'm in NJ too, near AC. I'm only two blocks from the ocean, so I'm REALLY hoping it isn't that bad!

I don't know the terrain where you are, but that close I'd be real worried about storm surge and high tides. Two blocks is just too darn close. Go online and look at the damage done to homes on the Gulf Coast, say in Biloxi or Gulf Shores, to see what can happen. If they tell you to evacuate, get out.

Get ready now. Collect all your valuable papers like insurance, passports, and birth certificates and have them where you can grab them. Medications too. Pack two or three days worth of clothing. Get your gas tank filled. Decide where you are going to go and what route you will take. You are probably going to spend a lot of hours traveling what normally takes you an hour. Gas stations will be out of gas. Water and snacks can be very valuable.

Where you are, you are probably going to have power outages. A trick to maybe keep the stuff in your freezer or refrigerator from going bad is to fill it with ice. It's kind of late, but I froze old plastic milk cartons filled with water to fill up the freezer. That extends how long stuff stays frozen by days.

Most of the time when you evacuate, you're back within a couple of days. You might get some inconveniences like power outages or blocked streets from trees coming down but those are not life threatening. You may need to boil water so it is safe to drink. Filling your bathtub with water may give you some water to fluch a toilet. But occasionally lots of people die in hurricanes, usually due to storm surge. Unless you are on top of a high hill, you are just too close to take a chance if Sandy comes your way.

 

[IamSamSam]

With the storm coming up on the East Coast, I'm really worried that our power will go out, leaving my 4-5 day old babies without a heat lamp. I've seen people recommend hot water in bottles and bricks, but is there any other advice I should know about?

Let us know how you and your babies fair ! If you have time you can sit with them under your jumper against you to keep them warm, we took turns.

 

[dpresk01]

Let us know how you and your babies fair ! If you have time you can sit with them under your jumper against you to keep them warm, we took turns.

Definitely a good idea. I almost want to do this regardless, it seems like a good way to bond with my girls! That way they really see me as "mama."

 

[memphis]

That's a good idea.....body heat! Good luck!