Power outage last night

ChickenCanoe

Enabler
Premium Feather Member
13 Years
Nov 23, 2010
34,564
30,961
1,207
St. Louis, MO
My last hatch of the year was on day 9 yesterday and power went out about 4:30pm. I soon discovered what the problem was. A stupid kid in a nice late model Camaro was coming up my street. The road was wet, and he had bald tires, yet like a dumb a++ he floored it, spun out and slammed the electric pole across the street from my house. It had a streetlight on it and my service transformer. It had pulled down some of the power lines. After the police, ambulance, fire engine and the first electric truck left, I thought they ignored it because I was the only one affected by the power outage. One of the pole setters said that the damage he did to the pole indicated he was going about 80mhp. The speed limit is 35.
Temp in the incubator was getting quite low - about 60. I pulled out my generator not knowing how long power would be off.
For years I would run my generator 3 or 4 times a year with a gallon of gas and let it run out, stay clean and unvarnished.
This has been a tough year and I probably hadn't run it in about a year. I had to run to get fresh gas and when I returned, they had the road closed. I ran into the road closure guys who I had talked to before the electric company arrived. They let me into my driveway.
The generator fired up quickly, after a rough start it was running smoothly. I ran the extension cord up to the incubator room and it started heating up. It ran for about 20 minutes and shut off suddenly. The temp only rose about 15 degrees at the time. I couldn't get it going again.
The power finally came on about 2 am.
I'll candle in a couple days to see if I can find out if they died. I wouldn't have been as worried if it had only been on day 3 or 4 but after 9 days, I suspect they are done.
 
You should be able to get a copy of the police report as a victim of the crime. Then take him to small claims court for the value of the eggs, time you put into them, the lost egg sales as you wait months for spring eggs to hatch fresh production pullets, the gas for the genny and your gas to go get it, and anything else you can think of.
Legally, you are entitled to compensation if someone has committed a crime that impacts your life. A judge wouldn't blink.

If it was a mere accident, I wouldn't be saying this, but 80 something on a small street is so reckless it calls for redress. That could have been your house he plowed into, or kids playing outside in a yard.
 
Update.
I candled tonight. I have one live embryo.
There were 19 eggs in there and I knew some were old so I didn't expect more than half to develop. Apparently 4 developed. 3 failed, probably when they chilled but this one is moving around.
If it continues to grow, I'll have to figure out how to deal with a lone chick. However, that is the least of my worries. I was almost pleased that I was going to be able to turn the power to the cabinet off. The very last egg I checked was alive.
 
I know there is only one alive. The thing is, I hadn't candled before the power outage so I didn't know if any had developed till last night. They have been cooking two weeks and these 3 in question are clearly quitters, including two with blood rings. I'm just going to do my best with the humidity and religiously check the temperature. It is an old Sportsman so it is a huge thing for a single egg but I no longer have any smallish incubators and I wouldn't trust a lesser incubator with this valuable egg.
 
Last edited:
I am sorry. If it was only 12 hrs it should be fine. Don't candle too soon. they may not be moving but still alive if it was cold.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom