Engineers switch on to keep chicks warm in power cut

Power company Electricity North West provided a generator to Westhouse Nursery near Ingleton to ensure their two-week-old chicks were kept comfortable.

The shutdown took place to allow engineers to carry out maintenance work on overhead power lines.

Martin Deehan, of Electricity North West, said: “Planned shutdowns are vital to help us safely maintain the electricity network across the region and to also reduce the risk of unplanned power cuts.

“Although we are unable to provide a generator to every customer during a planned outage we ensure our vulnerable customers are given priority. We also notify all affected residents and businesses in the area informing them of the planned work.”

Westhouse Nursery, a specialist poultry breeder, provides over 30 breeds of hens and cockerels, including rare breeds, to farmers and domestic poultry keepers.

Chris Cook, owner of Westhouse Nursery, said: “We currently have around 800 chicks on site and it’s imperative they are kept at a certain temperature at all times through the use of incubators for the eggs and ‘electric hens’ [heat pads for chicks]. Without the generator we might have lost our chicks which would have had a staggering effect on our business.”