Brooder Accident

[AlpineSpringsRanch]

I feel guilty but lucky at the same time. I lost about 8 chicks to a brooder accident today. I had accidentally locked one of my two cats in the garage. When I came home I found one lid (one has a hinge, this was the one that just rests on the top) displaced and IDK What she did. It then dawned on me that the LAMP was missing...I looked into the brooder and there it was laying on its side right on my hay. Facing the "feeding" section of my brooder with all the babies trapped on that side of the brooder (at least with the food and water)

SOOO VERY THANKFUL that it didn't start a fire. I was gone for 16 hours today and could have come home to a nightmare. Unfortunately I lost 7 or 8 baby chicks (I won't know for sure how many until I do inventory tonight...there were a few that weren't distinguishable...it was REALLY, really sad). I feel super guilty. I thought double clamping the was enough (I use the built in clamp plus another clamp on the cord higher up)...This is my fourth batch I'd raisted / started to raise with that setup and NEVER had an issue. I'll be buying a chain tomorrow. Lesson learned. ;(

 

[horseshowmomnv]

Wow, sorry about your mishap. They happen even with our best intentions. Those red heat lamps can be so very dangerous. How many chicks survived? Hope today is a better day for you!

 

[Tigertrea]

Sorry for your loss.

the way my heat lamp is secured seems "overboard" to my bf but, I insist on having double back-up. I have the cord holding it up, I have garden wire that is looped in 2 places to the ceiling and double looped around the lamp hanger then I also have the same garden wire going off to the side wrapped around the corner post of a shelving unit.....like when you anchor a Christmas tree to the wall so it can't tip. The one off to the side is to keep it from swinging too much so that it can't work it's way off the double looped hook on the ceiling lol.

 

[CitySilkies88]

So sorry about your loss. Those red heat lamps scare the crap out of me. I bought one and used it for a day before the glass literally started to melt. I used two 150 watt white lamps, and then at night I would put three jugs of boiled hot water in the brooder and turn out the lamps. Never had an issue with cold chicks.....

 

[bonniehen]

so sorry to hear that we had ours kinda attached and our little kitten wanted to see what was peeping while we were out and the lamp hit the floor stupid ! 2 burns in the carpet came home just in time!

 

[AlpineSpringsRanch]

Thank you all for your kind words. I felt so guilty. I have always used the red ones without incident. But I knew they were hot, just didn't realize how hot. I'm down to 23 chicks from 50. 13 died naturally within 48 hours of arriving from the hatchery...which they credited me. The remainder were either directly affected from the heat lamp accident or from the after effects of being so hot I think. There were quite a few babies with singed feathers etc. I haven't had any more losses in about 4 days so I'm pretty optimistic that the rest of the batch will make it now. They are all three weeks old now.

I've been wanting to switch over to my new brooder just haven't had the time to experiment with different light bulb wattages to maintain temperatures for the younger chicks. I have the older chicks in it right now. I plan on making sure I have my new brooder completely ready, bulbs and all, before my next order arrives.

 

[ZenHens]

That's so sad. I've very sorry. But yeah, you're so lucky--it could have been a horrible loss of more than your chicks.

We have a red heat lamp with a clamp and I never really thought of a backup. Last night was probably our last time using it my seven week-olds have moved out. I put a couple of frail WFBS chicks in there and after cleaning the brooder and reassembling it I put the metal grates back on the top. I had basically torn apart a dog crate to do it. Well, I noticed smoke within SECONDS. I realized I put the grate with the small plastic manufacturer sign under the lamp. It's hard to fathom just how hot those bulbs are. To me, it not setting hay on fire seems borderline miraculous.

 

[BeulahBreezes]

We are done with the heat lamp here for the season too, but I did double up on the security isse too. I had the electric cord 'locked' around the ceiling joists and the lamp clipped to a chairback..........I checked that thing everyday.......(over-protective, I know..lol!)
I am sorry for your loss......~Beulah

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

So sorry about your loss. Those red heat lamps scare the crap out of me. I bought one and used it for a day before the glass literally started to melt. I used two 150 watt white lamps, and then at night I would put three jugs of boiled hot water in the brooder and turn out the lamps. Never had an issue with cold chicks.....

I know this is kinda old but..

I'm pretty sure your not supposed to use white heat lamps because it makes the chick pick themselves- have you ever had a issue with that? We use red heat lamps no matter what

 

[wsmoak]

I use a red 250 watt lamp, but I won't leave it on when no one is home. I just toss a packing blanket over the top of the brooder (metal stock tank) and put one or two quart jars of very hot water in with them. I left the last batch all day when they were about a week old... everybody lived. I would have been sad to lose any of them, but it's not worth the fire risk.

-Wendy