what you do if power goes out.....

[charlotteda]

I am getting ready to incubate (hova bator) and it is the time of year that we sometimes have an ice storm

Winter weather is not an everyday event here and we are not well prepared for it.

I am thinking... if the power goes out what do I do about the incubator !!

I do have a small honda generator so I guess I'll have to keep extra gas on hand and the refrigerator and tv will just have to share !!!

Charlotte

 

[spook]

I'd cover the bator with blankets until the power comes back on for short times, but in the event of an ice storm, you have no ability to change a thing and if you do not plug it in, you will lose the batch. Is this normal hatching season down there?

 

[gumpsgirl]

The generator should do the trick for you incase of a power outage. Just as long as you have some kind of back-up, I wouldn't worry to much. I'm in the same boat here, but not as prepared as you are with a generator. Might have to look into getting one if bad weather looks to be coming my direction.

 

[Mahonri]

Stacey.... get a generator.

My uncle was the only one in his neighborhood in Houston who had one when the last hurricane blew through and all kinds of folks were all of a sudden becoming his friends so that extension cords from refrigerators and freezers could continue to run.

We are getting another one that will run a small AC unit this year also. (Summers here can be deadly)

 

[BirdBrain]

I have an uniterupted power supply (UPS) for my computer that I have the bator plugged in to. It serves as a surge protector and back up battery. From there if the power is out for a long time the generator can run and there will always be stable electricity.

Otherwise, if you have some way to heat water, you could use hot water bottles or place jars of hot water in there with them.

 

[UrbanMama]

We recently experienced this...3 days w/out power and I lost all my eggs...in 2 incubators. It's not the norm for us to have an outage like that....but the next time I'll be more prepared!

 

[Chicken Woman]

I think I would wrap it up in a blanket and head for Motel 6. They have generators and I could keep my hatch safe. That is if the power company told me it would be more than a couple hours. You can also fire up a fireplace or woodstove for an put your bator nearby for a little while.

Iv'e read on this site of other people losing power for 3 or 4 hours a couple of times and there hatch still did pretty well. I guess some broodys leave them for to long at times ?

 

[Griffox]

I have a gas oven...Do you think I could put them in there for a few minutes at a time on the lowest setting (not in the styrofoam bator, of course). It would take constant monitoring and wouldn't give you a stable temp, but at least they wouldn't get completely cold.

Or maybe use one of those heating pads that you can boil in water and just alternate between them.

If there's an ice storm, going to motel 6 is definitely out of the question for me. I live 15 minutes from town with huge hills on either side of me. I think the neighbors across the street have an generator, though.

How much do they cost? Forget running the fridge...I'll just stick everything outside. haha.

 

[swtangel321]

We lost power one time while incubating !!! I took 2-3 potatoes put them in our gas oven and warmed them up (you could also use a grill if you dont have a gas oven) I then took them out and put them in the bator to keep it warm, Worked well, I closed the vent plugs while the potatoes where in there just to keep the heat in.

Covering the bator with a blanket can cause your hum to shoot way up and will stop air flow..... so be careful !!!

 

[ranchhand]

We bought the best generator we could afford at the time and have never regretted it. It gets hauled out 3-5 times a year unless we get a hurricane. Then, it's more.. Get a new one when they're on sale or find one in your local classifieds as a used one. TEST IT FIRST!