- Dec 18, 2012
- 7
- 0
- 7
I lost 8 out of 14 of my day old chicks. They were all healthy and active until they suddenly 1by 1 started chirping loudly and then starting flopping around until they died minutes later. It was horrific to watch. I have been trying to figure out what possibly could have caused such a sudden mass death of my healthy chicks. I came acrossed info about Teflon coating releasing fumes which are toxic. According to the Westinghouse house site their bulbs have a non- stick coating. The bulb I was using had been plugged in for about 48 hours before the deaths occurred. These bulbs are sold as Brooder bulbs at Tractor Supply.
When I saw the title of this thread, my first thought was Teflon coating on the bulb but you've already figured that out. I agree its very irresponsible to sell them for use in brooders with no warning lables or directions for how long you should run the bulb to let the fumes burn off. I use incandescent bulbs, but they're getting harder and harder to find. My next investment will be a Brisnea Ecoglow chick brooder. They're so much more natural and give alot more peace of mind regarding fires and such. Poor babies. 
