storming bad! what if electric goes out?

[Their Other Mother]

It went from 110 to 67 and the worst storm we've had for a long time. It is hailing in Phoenix and 6 inches of snow in Flagstaff. My one chick just hatched, one is pipped and have another bator full of duck eggs on day 23. What do I do if the electric goes out??????

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I hope you get to read this before the power goes out!

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.

 

[SterlingAcres]

I've read somewhere that rocks in the bator will hold onto heat. Maybe you could chuck a few in? I hope the power stays on! Good luck.

 

[Their Other Mother]

Thanks Farmer Kitty! So far so good. The Direct TV sattelite feed is interupted but the electric is holding in there for now - which is really amazing because where we live if you sneeze too hard it goes out. Not leaving anything to chance, saying prayers and crossing fingers!

Second chick just hatched out completly too.

 

[MissPrissy]

If you are worried about hatched chicks in a brooder jars of boiling water wrapped in towels kept in a cooler retain heat for a very long time and can be tucked into a brooder to keep chicks warm.

 

[Sonia]

I have used 2 liter bottles filled with hot (not boiling) water and wrapped in towels to keep baby bunnies warm in an emergency.

 

[Their Other Mother]

I have the hot water ready, but it looks like the this one has passed. Supposed to be a wet weekend though. Thanks again everyone.