Chickens died from trying to keep them warm in coop!!

[Cohl0406]

I am writing to make sure with these cold temps to make sure you take extra caution with keeping the chickens warm. We thought we did everything possible but somehow the safety light we used to help keep them warm wasn't so safe. Keeping their bedding away wasn't enough and their coop caught fire in our garage. We lost all 3. The only fragment I get for peace of mind is that we know the smoke killed them before they burned. They were supposed to have a newer better house delivered yesterday that never came in so that's why they were in there. They were a little over 6 months old. I'm still having the company send the playhouse (to be converted to coop) and will get new chicks soon. This was our first time owning chickens and we had the best of intentions and it wasn't enough. :-(

 

[threescompany]

I am writing to make sure with these cold temps to make sure you take extra caution with keeping the chickens warm. We thought we did everything possible but somehow the safety light we used to help keep them warm wasn't so safe. Keeping their bedding away wasn't enough and their coop caught fire in our garage. We lost all 3. The only fragment I get for peace of mind is that we know the smoke killed them before they burned. They were supposed to have a newer better house delivered yesterday that never came in so that's why they were in there. They were a little over 6 months old. I'm still having the company send the playhouse (to be converted to coop) and will get new chicks soon. This was our first time owning chickens and we had the best of intentions and it wasn't enough. :-(

So very sorry you lost your hens.

 

[recfsh]

unfortunately this is not the first post like this. Chickens, unlike dogs and cats, are not domesticated so mother nature gives them what they need to survive cold temps. We as owners give them shelter (coops) for shelter, they can do the rest. What about all the ducks and birds out there? I see ducks and swans floating around on the lake in the morning when it's almost freezing temps. they don't look cold. I check on my 6 hens every night when I get home from work and they look content huddled up on the roost. They'r 7 and 8 months old. Came home to 4 eggs last night and it was 4 degrees out.

Sorry to hear..

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am writing to make sure with these cold temps to make sure you take extra caution with keeping the chickens warm. We thought we did everything possible but somehow the safety light we used to help keep them warm wasn't so safe. Keeping their bedding away wasn't enough and their coop caught fire in our garage. We lost all 3. The only fragment I get for peace of mind is that we know the smoke killed them before they burned. They were supposed to have a newer better house delivered yesterday that never came in so that's why they were in there. They were a little over 6 months old. I'm still having the company send the playhouse (to be converted to coop) and will get new chicks soon. This was our first time owning chickens and we had the best of intentions and it wasn't enough. :-(

Just a warning to anyone else that thinks heating their coop is beneficial make sure you have a safety chain to hold the light securely if your first attachment fails. You would not be the first to burn down your coop with that same sort of set up. Sorry for your loss Cohl0406 maybe this post will help some one else from your fate. Most chickens once fully fledged do not require supplemental heat is my personal experience once acclimatized.

 

[Cohl0406]

We had 2 buff orpingtons and a cuckoo maran. We are lucky the damage wasn't as extensive as the picture above. Clearly we are heart broken over the chickens and my daughter keeps asking to "go get the egg" which was her thing lately but we will never... EVER put a light in a coop again. It could have been so much worse than it was. I'm sad animal control didn't give us the option to bury them but I probably didn't need to see that anyway.

We learn from our mistakes. Hopefully more will learn from my mistake instead of making it themselves. :'(

 

[RonP]

So sorry for your loss...

Thank you for sharing.

 

[WYNot]

So sorry for your loss.

I'm going to have to show this thread to my wife. She keeps trying to get me to turn on the heat lamp for the hens because the temps are in the single digits and dipping into negative. Keep telling her they are fine. They are acclimated, the coop is dry, well ventilated, and has lots of wood shavings on the floor. But, she didn't grow up raising livestock and is a softy who spoils the hens any chance she gets.

 

[Going Quackers]

I am so sorry. Yes, sadly as others have said something like that has happened many a time before. Good of you to post though, it's valuable information for others to know when deciding on the epic debate of heating and lighting coops.

 

[Going Quackers]

So sorry for your loss.

I'm going to have to show this thread to my wife. She keeps trying to get me to turn on the heat lamp for the hens because the temps are in the single digits and dipping into negative. Keep telling her they are fine. They are acclimated, the coop is dry, well ventilated, and has lots of wood shavings on the floor. But, she didn't grow up raising livestock and is a softy who spoils the hens any chance she gets.

I think it's only natural to be concerned that said, we often mistake our reactions to temperatures and put them on our animals, most do not require it. I even have 3mth olds out with their parent flock and we are plenty cold.. was -20C(windchill of -30C) the other day, they are okay, no heat. just well fed and good housing, plus they all cuddle.

A good book for perhaps some enlightening info on chickens and cold.. is this old book on open air coops, i know a few members here even have coops based off these designs but the book(which i have read) is good for info, even if you don't own an open air coop.

http://www.archive.org/details/openairpoultryho00wood

 

[WYNot]

Quackers,

I'm fully in the no heat lamp camp. It is hazardous and keeps the animals from acclimating to the temperatures. If a coop is built properly; no drafts and good ventilation then they will be fine. It is also important to ensure they have access to quality feed and drinking water. Chickens have been kept since long before there was electric and heat lamps. Millions of other birds do just fine through the winter without migrating. As was pointed out ducks and geese swim around in water that is near freezing in all kinds of weather.

As I've said in other threads, even I handle the cold better when I have a chance to acclimate. I've spent many nights in a tent in zero and even subzero weather.