incubating and power outage(pictures added)

[JamesA]

I have a Dickie Incubator and set some very nice eggs yesterday.I have been having some incredible hatches with this incubator but today we have a bad problem.I went home at super and found with the storms the power is out .I ask my son and he said it has been out since 4PM so that is now 4 hours without power.Are my eggs goners?Is it better to have a outage at the beginning of a hatch or at the end or does it matter?

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Just wait it out. I have a home made bator and my light bulb burnt out just before Thanksgiving at day 6. My bator temp got down to 80 degrees. I still had a decent 50% hatch.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

My incubator is outside in the weather an a winter storm killed the power for about 24 hours last winter. The majority still hatched. I think they got down below 60*F.

 

[farrier!]

Hot water in baggies added to the incubator will keep the temps up.
Incubators will also run off a power converter you plug into your car/truck. Best place to get one is from a big truck stop....

Day old chicks can be kept warm with a kerosene lantern but you need to keep removing them from the hot glass but that's not a problem because you can't sleep for fear you will burn the whole house down.

 

[bargain]

If you are going to be home or someone else, cover the incubator with lots of blankets to keep warm...and unplug it....THen plug it in when the power comes back.....Does anyone you know have a generator?

Since you have a cabinet, it's probably holding more of the temp than say a styro would....

Don't give up ....DO you have a broody hen????? It's worth a try for that.....

If you want me to hatch, I'll give it a try...My incubator is not preheated, but I'll try... It shouldn't take long to get up to temp....Just pm me.

Hope your power comes back soon.

 

[JamesA]

Power is back on. 5 hours down.What are my chances?

These are very dark welsummer eggs that I am very excited about hatching from one of the top welsummer breeders in the US and now this.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

You should still be ok.

 

[bargain]

Have Faith, James....I'm praying over this hatch.....I still believe in all possibilities including this to be an outstanding hatch..... The firstborn from the Hatch should be named Stormy

The minute I saw your post I just prayed, for power, for protection of those little eggs and for peace for you and your household....So I'll continue to pray for peace and now great development of those babies.....Keep us posted!

 

[JamesA]

Nancy thanks for the prayers.I have already named the first roo Stormy even before he hatches as I know they will all be in good shape! Now just 19 days to go

 

[catwalk]

I think they should be okay. I used to trade yogurt for hatching eggs with a neighbor, and they always started hatching on day 14! Not all of them, but that's when the first one would start. That means that a broody had been on them for a week, then they sat on my front porch overnight before they were incubated again. Every single one of them that hatched was early. If they were still in the egg at day 21, they never made it out at all. Good luck!