Chicks are doing fine in the coop. I turn off 3 heat lamps, then turn them back on around 5 or 6 PM. Supposed to rain tomorrow but temperatures will be in the 50’s for a low, 70’s for high.
Storm blew in the wee hours of this morning. Power is off. I called automated system to report it. Then I called and actually spoke to someone and told her I had a bunch of baby chicks with no heat lamps and sure would appreciate anything they could do. She said there’s over 4,000 with no power. I told her I know they are just chickens, and people are more important, but I would be deeply grateful for anything they could do.
The good news is, the storm has blown through, the sun is peeking out and it’s 70F degrees in the coop. I didn’t open it until 11:00 AM. I had covered the door with a cut open plastic feed sack, duct taped down. Chicks are ok. There is a dead chicken in the small coop where the older chickens are, but I didn’t want to raise the top to get her out and let a rush of cool air in. I opened the small end gate and put fresh feed in, they are doing ok.
The wind blew so hard, it blew out the big tarp I put over the whole coop, like a blimp. Then it would suck back in up against the coop. It was like a living breathing thing. The cinder blocks I had holding the tarp down on the sides rolled to the outer edges. I stomped the tarp up close to the coop edge and moved the cinder blocks back up against it.
So, no power. Sun is out. I will be monitoring the babies closely, it’s a toss up whether they get too cold or too hot. Sigh…..