Power failure...day 5...AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I was awakened at 2:15 am this morning by my DH saying "Jude...you'd better get up. Your eggs are going to die!!" I was sound asleep so I jumped out of bed saying, "What, what, what do you mean?" (I already dream about the eggs, the incubator temp, humidity, etc...)

Sure enough...power had been out for about 1 1/2 hours and the temp was down to 84. We have a small generator that we keep for the hurricanes that come our way (Florida!) so I got it out of the garage and plugged the light in.

Hopefully all will be well. I'll make myself hold off candling them until day 7....

 

[Eggseronious]

I think you will be ok. The internal temperature is what gets them. It may delay the hatch just a bit, good luck when U candle! I have Dominiques hatching today and yesterday my temps went all over the board, then finally settled down.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Good Luck!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

They are fine...I had a power outage the other day for 5 hours and when I candled the eggs they are still alive and growing...

Lots of people on here have loar power sometimes for a day or so and still have a good hatch....When it happens and the power doesn't come back on right away cover the bator with towels or a blanket to keep the warmth in....

 

[Julie08]

Im sure they will be fine too.............. are you considering getting a power failure alarm for the next hatch?

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
I guess this would have to be some sort of battery backup system??

I do have a thermometer with alarm in the water weasel but I can't hear it from where the bator is all the way to my bedroom. I think I may still have my 21 yo daughters baby monitor in the garage!! That would work!! Then I could hear the alarm go off...great idea

 

[Julie08]

LOL I think it was your idea!! anyhow, glad I could help

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Info on power outages during Incubation.
From- A Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow

The more valuable your hatching eggs are, the more likely it is that the electricity will go out during incubation. If you have an uninterruptable power source (UPS) for your computer or other electronic equipment, consider disconnecting the usual equipment and using the UPS to power your incubator. If the outage comtinues beyond its capacity to keep your incubator running, or you don't have an UPS, open the incubator and let the eggs cool until the power goes back on.

Trying to keep the eggs warm is likely to cause abnormal embryo development. Furthermore, if you close the vents or wrap the incubator with blankets in your attempt to keep eggs warm, a greater danger than temperature loss is oxygen deprivation. Developing embryos use up oxygen rather rapidly, and the oxygen level may soon fall below that necessary to keep them alive.

As soon as the power goes back on, close the incubator and continue operating it as usual. The effect of the outage on your hatch will depend on how long the power was out and on how long the eggs had been incubated before the outage. A power failure of up to 12 hours may not significally affect the hatch (except to delay it somewhat), especially if the outage occurred during the early incubation, when cooled embryos naturally tend to go dormant. Embryos that are close to term generate enough heat to carry them through a short-term outage.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Oh, thanks for that post Kitty...I feel better. I'm going to order that book right now!