Author Topic: Ice Storm  (Read 7222 times)

Paul

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Ice Storm
« on: February 23, 2018, 02:59:33 PM »
  We survived the ice storm and power outage.  Hopefully our seventh hatch of the season did also.  They were started at 9:30 AM on Tuesday  Feb. 13, 2018-one day late due to Matthew showing at the San Antonio and San Angelo hog shows.

  Our electricity temporarily went out on Wednesday Feb. 21, at 7:15 AM and 9:15 AM.  1:15 PM it went down.  We fired-up our seventeen year old generator and plugged in two GQF incubators and a heat lamp on chicks just removed from our incubator from our sixth hatch only moments before the outage.  This was our first experience using the generator for the incubators.  The electric power has temporarily gone out several times while we were hatching in the past, but this is the first time that it stayed out.  We purchased the generator to run the travel trailer that we use to take to the poultry shows.

  The generator ran great for about three hours, then terrible for another one and half hours before dying.  We immediately went to town to purchase another generator to find all 3 stores closed due to out of power.  Some parts of Gainesville had power and others didn’t.  We had to go to Sherman, a neighboring town 40 miles away to purchase a new generator.  The incubators and heat lamp were off for 3 ½ hours by the time we had the new generator in operation.  Three freezers and two refrigerators were also powered up by 10:00 PM.  The incubators were closely monitored and adjusted in an attempt to maintain the correct temp as the room temp decreased due to the heat being out.  Electricity was restored at 8:00 AM on Thursday Feb. 22, only to have it go out again at 10:00 AM and remained out until 6:00 PM.  The generator rested for 2 hours then back to work for another 8.

  We are eager to see what hatches on March 6 as this is a new experience for us.
Paul Smith

Susan Mouw

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2018, 04:31:46 PM »
Oh my!  I hope most of your hatch survives all that and the rest of your hatches go great.
Susan Mouw
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Don

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2018, 08:32:42 PM »
Paul, Sorry that you're having such a bizarre winter, is that freezing rain out of the norm for you area this time of year?   I expect your hatches will be fine.  I've heard of much longer outages and hatches better than normal.      We are on the other extreme right now with the Bermuda High weather system pumping warm air into our area.  This week we've had temps in the mid 70s, pushing 80 degrees.  Next week we drop back to the 60s for the highs, but even that is much warmer than our norm for this time of year.  Just seems like the weather is going crazy.   Stay warm and Good luck with the chicks.   
Don Cash
Matthew 4:9

Paul

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2018, 04:35:53 PM »
  Our weather is so different now, there is no norm for our area anymore.  We plan to continue with the eggs through their hatch date.  The temp was like a roller coaster inside the incubators.  Hopefully some will still hatch.  We will post the outcome.  Thanks for adding to the hope.
Paul Smith

Sarah Meaders

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2018, 05:44:04 AM »
Paul and Angela! I am so sorry you have had to deal with all this! I do hope your eggs come out ok! Praying for y'all!
Proclaim Yahweh's greatness with me! Let us exhale His name together! Psalm 34:3

Kelly Gore

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2018, 06:31:06 PM »
Paul, Just wondering how your hatch came out? Were you able to salvage it?

Paul

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2018, 01:35:29 PM »
  I have been going to share this info.  Thanks for the encouragement to do it now.

  One hundred twenty-two healthy chicks managed to hatch from the two GQF incubators which had 288 in the 1602 and 128 eggs in the 1502.  We managed to fill 5 orders totaling 68 head.  Several varieties were a few short of filling an order, so we managed to keep 54 head from our 7th hatch.

  There were 200 eggs that did not hatch in the 1602.  Ninety two were fertile, the rest still had fertility issues.  There were 91 eggs that did not hatch in the 1502.  Thirteen were fertile, the rest still had fertility issues.  The majority of the 105 eggs that had dead chicks, showed about one week of development which would be the  time frame that we lost power.  I do know that if we had not run a generator, we would have lost everything, including the chicks from the previous hatch, # 6.   A few of the chick drown inside the eggs.  We now have the humidity issue solved.

  We just completed our 9th hatch with 249 chicks from the two GQF incubators which each had 288 eggs for a total of 576.  We sent out 201 head to fill 11 more orders.  We are totally caught up on some varieties and are fully booked on others.  I have not checked the remaining eggs for development at this time, but will before we set hatch # 11 of send out any hatching eggs.  We had 4 pens hatch 100%.

  We are now at full capacity with the two GQF incubators in one hatch then one GQF and 3 Styrofoam (41 eggs each) in the next hatch.  We are still accepting chick orders and now shipping hatching eggs from black, blue, splash and white from pens that had good fertility from our last hatch.

  Hope everyone is having good hatches!


Paul Smith

Kelly Gore

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2018, 02:15:58 AM »
Wow! That is great news! Glad you salvaged that much!

Don

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Re: Ice Storm
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2018, 08:28:57 AM »
Paul and Angela, That's good news that it sounds like you have a handle on the hatching progress for this year. And the pens that are having 100% percent hatch are pretty rare indeed.  Those incubators are tuned just like a great broody hen too.  Glad things are looking up. I hope that you have great luck with the chicks you are raising for your show string this fall. I hope you have some great grow out weather now that spring is here. 
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Did you all experience any of the earthquake in your area?  After hearing of some of the weather in the central part of the country, I checked the weather closer to you.  I see that you are having freezing temps with a high today of only 45. Then later in the week its supposed to be in the 80s again.  So I guess spring will be there soon anyway.  Hope it will stay! 
« Last Edit: April 07, 2018, 08:53:11 AM by Don »
Don Cash
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