Helpppp!!! Blackout!!!

[debilorrah]

ms.cluckling :

Interesting. Thank you all! I'm just praying to god that it wont get that bad to begin with

Me too!!! I have 17 ducks eggs in the bator and these are to replace what we lost last month to a predator. And ducks take LONGER than chickens which means I am getting really impatient.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

I would like to add that I left eggs sitting out at ambient temperatures overnight (twice, once at 7 days and once at day 16) and still had good hatches... my point being, if it's a short outage, cover the incubator to hold the heat in, but don't sweat it.

If it goes out for more than a day, then perhaps find a way to get the heat back up. Backup generator?

 

[debilorrah]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

I would like to add that I left eggs sitting out at ambient temperatures overnight (twice, once at 7 days and once at day 16) and still had good hatches... my point being, if it's a short outage, cover the incubator to hold the heat in, but don't sweat it.

If it goes out for more than a day, then perhaps find a way to get the heat back up. Backup generator?

Us Californians always fret during bad weather when the bator is plugged in. Barring someone hitting a transformer, our outages are usually short. Which is the reason I suggested blanket/bathroom combo. We rarely have long outages here. Generator! Now I gotta have one. Thanks!​

 

[PurpleChicken]

Eggs can go for several hours with very little effect on the hatch rate. As long as the blackout is under 10 hours I wouldn't worry about it. My bator got unplugged for 14 hours once and I still had a good hatch.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
And that does nothing to stop my paranoia.

 

[Mrs MIA]

As a former Californian, I understand.

I used to panic when the power went out. But I usually wait at least an hour before I pull out the generator. If I could just remember to put the eggs back in the incubator after I candle them...

 

[emvickrey]

We had an announcement on the TV a week or two ago that they where going to shut off the power to 2 counties at 10 pm and it could be off from 2 to 4 hours. It was suppose to get down to 7 degrees that night. We frantically borrowed a kerosene heater and had it going with chicks and incubators covered when the time neared to try to hold in as much of the heat as possible but not suffocate them. They never shut off the power. I suppose somebody had a light bulb go off in their head and realized it was the wrong day to do this.

So other than us having to breath stinky kerosene all was well.

Cowgirl71 - that was some good information i'l try to remember. Although I always have staggard hatches if I don't sometime we loose power I'll keep the lid opening in mind. I thought once the incubation has started it had to continue consistantly. I'm one of those that opens the bator to have a look or add water, candle, etc. I even open the hatcher to look for pips. I'm satisfied with most of my hatches. Lately it's been a 99% hatch rate to those that make it to lock down. I actually move them to another bator and they get candled as I do so.

 

[debilorrah]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

As a former Californian, I understand.

I used to panic when the power went out. But I usually wait at least an hour before I pull out the generator. If I could just remember to put the eggs back in the incubator after I candle them...

Now that is one I have not done.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:

Now that is one I have not done.

Hubby distracted me...

I left BCM eggs out for 14 hours at day 16...

55-60*F all night...

 

[debilorrah]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:

Now that is one I have not done.

Hubby distracted me...

I left BCM eggs out for 14 hours at day 16...

55-60*F all night...​

Did they hatch?