I've been stressing about the possibility of losing power since I have week-old chicks (7 of them) under a heat lamp.
No power, no heat lamp, dead chicks. 😰
So I did an online search for ways to keep chicks alive without a heat lamp and found a couple of suggestions.
The most useful was to build an insulated "hut" for them to huddle under.
So, using some cardboard and an insulated shipping bag, I gave it my best shot.
It has air holes & and a flap so the chicks can get out if they really want to.
Another suggestion was a sort of hot water bottle.
The water in a hot water tank (assuming it's not tankless) will remain hot for a while. So, when the power goes out, immediately fill some plastic containers with hot water and put them in the brooder box with the chicks.
Of course, none of this will help if the power stays off for more than a few hours.
And there's not much that can be done for the eggs in the electric-powered incubators (sadly, none of my hens are broody right now). I'll cover the incubators with blankets and cross my fingers.
Some of the eggs are supposed to hatch tomorrow, a few have already pipped.
It would be extremely upsetting to lose them when they are so close to hatching.
Damn the greedy power companies and corrupt Texas politicians that allow the companies to skip winterizing the grid.
Several more eggs have pipped and a chick in one of the incubators hatched a day early.
Hopefully, that gives her a better chance of survival if the electricity goes out.
::fingers crossed::
The early chick has dried off and been moved to a brooder box. She's all alone for now, but hopefully more of the clutch will hatch
If the electricity goes off, she'll be put with the older chicks under the insulated "hut"
Sometimes older chicks pick on younger ones, but...
... she'll have a better chance of surviving with a group than on her own if it the power goes out and there's no heat lamps to keep her warm.
::knock on wood::
The power has stayed on. Four more chicks have hatched, and the remaining two eggs have pipped (though one has pipped at the narrow end which means the chick is upside down in the egg (might not be able to hatch 😢)).
::Fingers crossed::
The upside down chick managed to hatch! Yay!
They don't always survive when they're upside down like that.
The remaining egg (in this clutch) has pipped and begun to unzip (break the shell all the way around the top). It should hatch soon.
Keeping 🤞 the power stays on.
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