[Rosiep]

Hi we have 2 day old chicks and are losing power intermittently, it was out for over an hour just now, any ideas on how to keep them warm if the power goes off again for longer?

We also have eggs in brooders, one lot are ducks on day 24, the others are chickens on day 14, again ideas to keep them warm without electricity please.

We have a log burner so can keep the room about 24-26 degrees Celsius

[Q]

Ways of keeping eggs and/or chicks alive without electricity:


Chicks:

Often when the electricity goes out, the hot water doesn't. Hot water bottles or even ziploc bags filled with hot water and wrapped in a towel will keep chicks warm and can be replaced as needed.

A group of chicks (3 - 4 or more depending on size) will usually generate enough body heat to keep themselves warm if placed in a small, insulated container. I keep several sizes of "picnic coolers" on hand for this purpose, and place a doubled cloth over the top edge to keep the lid from closing tightly.

Chicks can be kept warm enough by your body heat to stay alive, if you can stash them safely close to your skin.

That was on the avian net forum.

I found it when I did a search for 'Chicks in bra' - wont be doing THAT search again! 

[bigchicken]

Contact your electricity supplier and make them aware of your problem, they should let you know if they expect any loss of power and might supply you with a generator. If that fails try some of your nearby friends that's what I did a few years back and it saved my hatch. Best of luck.

[chrismahon]

Hi RosieP. Don't put your chicks anywhere near a log burner as the low levels of Carbon Monoxide will make them ill and may kill them. We have a pet cockerel and we have to be very careful to keep him in a separate ventilated room as he had been very ill from going near both wood burners. We have a CO alarm but the levels are far too low to activate it.


We had our chicks under a 60W electric hen powered by a inverter running off a large leasure battery during power cuts. Good for several hours running. But as said they will huddle together to keep warm if the area is small enough. We bought a mains failure alarm for use in the Dordogne where electricity is unreliable to say the least. Can get power cuts several times during the day and night there for many hours duration.

[NicandChic]

On my vast googling effort prior to our chicks I seen someone putting them in the car with the engine/ heating on to keep them warm