Keeping Baby Chicks Warm During A Power Outage

[Smuvers Farm]

BEWBS!!!

 

[junebuggena]

I always keep a big box of hand warmers on hand. Good for chicks during power outages. It takes several in an incubator to hold temp.

 

[pasuit]

A heating pad is one option. Or one of those rice package things- meant for cramps.
Boiled water in a thermos.
Put them by the fireplace, if you have one.
In some areas you can get battery powered heat lamps.

 

[pasuit]

Battery heat lamp good idea.

 

[pasuit]

I always keep a big box of hand warmers on hand. Good for chicks during power outages. It takes several in an incubator to hold temp.

 

[Redhead Rae]

BEWBS!!!

Yup, but not practical while sleeping, for you or the chicks.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

I think a kerosene heater might be risky, not to mention the fumes. You should still have hot water in the water heater -- fill a water bottle and wrap and hand towel around it. I also like the warm brick idea.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Yup, but not practical while sleeping, for you or the chicks.

i slept all night cuddling a baby goat once. I seem to have a don't move while sleeping mode.

 

[Redhead Rae]

i slept all night cuddling a baby goat once. I seem to have a don't move while sleeping mode.

I co-sleep with my son after his first night-time feeding. He isn't very cuddly but I have a hard time putting him back in the crib without him waking up. After I lay him down on the mattress, he feels for both me and DH before settling in. I noticed that I am tuned to every movement he makes and I wake up if I need to move.

I've done my research on co-sleeping safely. It works best for me and my son.

 

[Blooie]

I was brooding one week old chicks outdoors in a wire pen in the run using Mama Heating Pad. Now, you have to bear in mind that normal "springtime chick season" temperatures around here are still dipping into the teens and twenties, and one year our last snowfall was June 6th. Ken and I went to bed around 10:30. Around 2am he awoke to the sound of the power in the house coming back and and shouted, "The chicks!" By then the winds were howling and we had blinding, sideways blowing snow! I was scared that we'd go out to find "chick-cicles". Nope. They were just fine, all snuggled down in the straw under their heating pad. The straw on top of, under, and packed at the sides of the heating pad cave held enough residual warmth to see them through and they were more upset with us shining a bright flashlight in there than they were by the cold.

I'm glad yours were okay. Next time it happens, a huddle box with a thick towel over it can help, and since most (certainly not all!) power outages are of just a couple of hours duration, with some creative emergency measures things can work out well. For instance, there's usually enough hot water left in even an electric hot water heater to fill a jug, wrap it in a dishtowel or something, and tuck it into a corner of the brooder. They'll find it!