I DONE GONE AND DONE IT......

[cajuncluckerswla]

Winter storm gripping the country? Check.
Projected temperatures in LOUISIANA in the teens? Check.
Fully electric house? Check (and ugh).
New incubator? Check
First time hatcher? Checccckkkkkkkk
Battery backup in case of power loss? Check-a-rooney
Full load of 22 potential babies? CHHEECCCKKKKK!!

I can't help but suspect that my timing is awful, but I've had a dozen eggs come from my silkies in the last week and, well, I just HAVE to try and see if they'll hatch. And they woulda been lonely with all those empty slots so I threw in some barnyard mutt blues, greens and browns. They might be fertile, and they could all be duds. Either way I decided to at LEAST give 'em a chance!

They started slow roasting last night. Here's to 21-ish days and some itty bitty cuties!!

Next update will be at the 10 day mark unless disaster strikes before then.

 

[sourland]

Good luck for a successful hatch.

 

[SueT]

Get a bunchof Hot Hands hand warmers for just in case.....

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

Get a bunchof Hot Hands hand warmers for just in case.....
View attachment 2525970

I keep cases of these because I'm perpetually, ridiculously cold....... and you are a GENIUS!! Didn't even cross my mind to use some of them XD

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

Good luck for a successful hatch.

Trying not to get my hopes up too much in case... but.... floof butts!!

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

MAJOR UPDATE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
Y'all probably thought this thread had just went off to die... but you would be wrong... And boy do I have a HELL of an update. My life is never dull I swear.

The anticipated freeze came in hard and fast. We managed to save every single one of our babies and protect them well, but during all the coop moving I ended up catching one of the coops as it was sliding off the skid and doing a number on my hip. Woke up the next morning to snow and ice everywhere and a persistent cough. Didn't think much of it because I battle with colds and bronchitis every time it gets crazy cold down here.

We lost power mid- morning with the eggs. I had just candled a couple of them the night before and saw veins in them. It was instant survival mode. Hubby and the boys hustled outside and skidded the generator across the ice to get it close to the house. I opened one of the boys' bedroom windows and fed an extension cord through so we could get them plugged in quickly.... but the temperature in the house was dropping rapidly still. I stuffed the window crack with towels and blankets, closed the door with the cord squeezed through and made a pillow dam. Then I took a heavy blanket and wrapped the incubator itself with it but took care to leave the breather hole on the top open.

We kicked on our propane heater in the living room to break the chill for us since our generator cant run our central... it's way too many amps to kick it on. Power was out for most of the day, but by heavenly blessing it cut back on just long enough before dark that we were able to have heat again. It's a very good thing that we were home though because when the breakers cut back on I smelled smoke and fire. The central heater was thrown out of phase and had started to melt down. I threw the main and called the hubby who had gone to town to help a friend with their generator. He made it home and we opened everything up and determined what had happened before cutting it all back on and everything behaving as normal.

I uncovered the incubator once the house warmed up but I dared not try to open them to check anything. I only added water for humidity and let them be. I didn't touch them again at all except to water for the duration of the freeze days. My cough was getting progressively worse until, by Wednesday, I couldn't get out of bed anymore between the hip pain and hacking. Went to urgent care and was diagnosed with Covid and sent home with meds and muscle relaxers to help with the swelling in the hip. by Thursday I was even worse. Went back to urgent care and they checked my oxygen to find I was down to 92%...... I should mention here that I have MS and take Ocrevus..... this drug makes me immunosurpressed. They sent me straight to the ER.

And that is precisely where I've been since..... up on the Covid floor as the first patient at this hospital to have MS and be Covid positive. It's like another world up here. The boys locked down the eggs for me last night. No more candling attempts but I couldn't just see calling it quits without giving them a fair shake. And this morning I woke up to a message from my youngest. "Momma. look at the cameras and turn the volume on."

I opened our home camera app and, y'all....... THEY'RE CHIRPIIINNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! The boys set up a camera just for me looking at the incubator and I can hear at least 3 distinct little voices in there. My spirits are SOARING in this hospital room. Two days to go on their officical hatch ticker, humidity is raised.... and now we wait to see. WHAT A MIRACLE AND JOYOUS SOUND!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cajuncluckerswla]

We have 3 so far and a 4th pipping!!!!!!!!!!! Two blacks and a gorgeous silver!!!!

 

[sourland]

You have a great family. Wishing a quick/complete recovery your way.

 

[Cazook]

Wow, what a story. Hope you are feeling better soon and that the hatch goes well!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

MAJOR UPDATE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
Y'all probably thought this thread had just went off to die... but you would be wrong... And boy do I have a HELL of an update. My life is never dull I swear.

The anticipated freeze came in hard and fast. We managed to save every single one of our babies and protect them well, but during all the coop moving I ended up catching one of the coops as it was sliding off the skid and doing a number on my hip. Woke up the next morning to snow and ice everywhere and a persistent cough. Didn't think much of it because I battle with colds and bronchitis every time it gets crazy cold down here.

We lost power mid- morning with the eggs. I had just candled a couple of them the night before and saw veins in them. It was instant survival mode. Hubby and the boys hustled outside and skidded the generator across the ice to get it close to the house. I opened one of the boys' bedroom windows and fed an extension cord through so we could get them plugged in quickly.... but the temperature in the house was dropping rapidly still. I stuffed the window crack with towels and blankets, closed the door with the cord squeezed through and made a pillow dam. Then I took a heavy blanket and wrapped the incubator itself with it but took care to leave the breather hole on the top open.

We kicked on our propane heater in the living room to break the chill for us since our generator cant run our central... it's way too many amps to kick it on. Power was out for most of the day, but by heavenly blessing it cut back on just long enough before dark that we were able to have heat again. It's a very good thing that we were home though because when the breakers cut back on I smelled smoke and fire. The central heater was thrown out of phase and had started to melt down. I threw the main and called the hubby who had gone to town to help a friend with their generator. He made it home and we opened everything up and determined what had happened before cutting it all back on and everything behaving as normal.

I uncovered the incubator once the house warmed up but I dared not try to open them to check anything. I only added water for humidity and let them be. I didn't touch them again at all except to water for the duration of the freeze days. My cough was getting progressively worse until, by Wednesday, I couldn't get out of bed anymore between the hip pain and hacking. Went to urgent care and was diagnosed with Covid and sent home with meds and muscle relaxers to help with the swelling in the hip. by Thursday I was even worse. Went back to urgent care and they checked my oxygen to find I was down to 92%...... I should mention here that I have MS and take Ocrevus..... this drug makes me immunosurpressed. They sent me straight to the ER.

And that is precisely where I've been since..... up on the Covid floor as the first patient at this hospital to have MS and be Covid positive. It's like another world up here. The boys locked down the eggs for me last night. No more candling attempts but I couldn't just see calling it quits without giving them a fair shake. And this morning I woke up to a message from my youngest. "Momma. look at the cameras and turn the volume on."

I opened our home camera app and, y'all....... THEY'RE CHIRPIIINNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! The boys set up a camera just for me looking at the incubator and I can hear at least 3 distinct little voices in there. My spirits are SOARING in this hospital room. Two days to go on their officical hatch ticker, humidity is raised.... and now we wait to see. WHAT A MIRACLE AND JOYOUS SOUND!!!!!!!!!!

Hurry up and get better so you can go home to those wee babies!!!!

I’m sending positive vibes your way!!