Official BYC Poll: Have you ever experienced a power outage during incubation?

[BYC Project Manager]

Incubating eggs is a delicate process—and when the power suddenly goes out, it can be nerve-wracking! Whether it lasted a few minutes or several hours, how did you handle it? Did you manage to save the hatch? We'd love to know how you responded and what lessons you learned along the way.

Let others learn from your experience—vote and share your story in the comments!

Further Reading:

• Candling Pics Progression Through Incubation Of Chicken Eggs
• The Beginner's Guide to Incubation
• Egg failure to hatch - Diagnosing incubation problems
• Development of a Chicken Embryo Day by Day
• How To Incubate Hatch Eggs Using The Dry Incubation Method

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[Debbie292d]

Hello, I'm Debbie, and I'm a hatchaholic.

We have very few power outages, and generally they're short ones around 15 minutes. Then I just use the quilts over the incubators.

They texted us the last one, which was two hours, so I threw quilts on the incubators while hubby hooked up the generator. Disaster averted!

 

[BYC Project Manager]

Hello, I'm Debbie, and I'm a hatchaholic.

We have very few power outages, and generally they're short ones around 15 minutes. Then I just use the quilts over the incubators.

They texted us the last one, which was two hours, so I threw quilts on the incubators while hubby hooked up the generator. Disaster averted!

Welcome to Hatchaholics Anonymous Debbie...

 

[RoseHawke]

The last time I hatched several years ago, we had a severe thunderstorm, and the power went out for several hours. Hubs hauled out the generator from the outbuilding and was hooking it up in the rain (fortunately only a drizzle by that time.)

This time, we had some warning so at least put the generator closer, in the shop, in case it was needed. It wasn't, thank goodness, but better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Next time, I'm going to have a portable power station backup, something along the lines of a Jackery or an EcoFlow.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Not with an incubator, but a brooder's heat plate. We invested in a small indoor generator.

 

[BoundlessLove]

As the power goes out at the drop of a hat due to our location, we have a generator as a backup for refrigerator, freezer, incubator, etc.
Only once have we had to use it more than a few hours for the incubator. The poults hatched just fine.
Yep, I stayed awake making sure the eggs were okay until the power came back on.

 

[Bsmac]

Hello, I'm Debbie, and I'm a hatchaholic.

We have very few power outages, and generally they're short ones around 15 minutes. Then I just use the quilts over the incubators.

They texted us the last one, which was two hours, so I threw quilts on the incubators while hubby hooked up the generator. Disaster averted!

I would not be hard to become a hatchaholic lol. I am fighting off the urge!

 

[Bsmac]

Welcome to Hatchaholics Anonymous Debbie...

Hahaha! Good one!

 

[Airyaman]

Yes. In the past, if I'm home, I'll hook up an inverter powered by a lawn mower battery to power just the incubators.

My last set I had multiple power outages due to our constant storms this year. Each time I was able to use the above method.

Then, the worst one ever happened to me on day 17: power did not go out but power to the incubators was switched off for 13 hours. Thought it was going to lead to mass death and/or deformities. Neither was true. In fact, it makes me wonder if down times during incubation, that simulate what happens in nature when the mother hen leaves the eggs, would not be beneficial. Maybe not 13 hours but an hour a day or such. Who knows?

My experience with the 13 hour outage:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-13-hours-on-days-17-18.1669836/post-28690234

 

[RoseHawke]

Yes. In the past, if I'm home, I'll hook up an inverter powered by a lawn mower battery to power just the incubators.

My last set I had multiple power outages due to our constant storms this year. Each time I was able to use the above method.

Then, the worst one ever happened to me on day 17: power did not go out but power to the incubators was switched off for 13 hours. Thought it was going to lead to mass death and/or deformities. Neither was true. In fact, it makes me wonder if down times during incubation, that simulate what happens in nature when the mother hen leaves the eggs, would not be beneficial. Maybe not 13 hours but an hour a day or such. Who knows?

My experience with the 13 hour outage:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-13-hours-on-days-17-18.1669836/post-28690234

The Brinsea I just purchased actually has a programmable option for a "cool down" period. It's not a default setting, but you could add it in if you wanted.