Coop Fire - New shed - extremely cold - seramas

[Aleelupton]

My poor chickens can't catch a break

 

[BReeder!]

Yes the clip. Big mistake.

I use wire to secure any heat lamps. The writte connects to the hanger not the clamp, bevause the clamp assemply could slip off if the lamp is bumped. If you ever look at how the mfrs attach the clamps to most of the reflectors/sockets it is really poor engineering. Also I try to clamp to something like a nail, pipe, thin board, etc so that I can attach a zip tie to the two clamp arms behind the object it is attached to. This way if the clamp goes to slip off the zip tie will catch on the nail or whatever and save the lamp from falling.
Lastly, I have only used a great lamp for my brooder, not in my coop. My brooder is indoors and my wife or I check on it frequently.

 

[RoosterML]

Yes the clip. Big mistake.

Thank you for being honest about it. As I am sure you know now the clamp is not a good way to secure the heat lamp. Very easily bumped into by the chickens.

 

[WVduckchick]

My poor chickens can't catch a break View attachment 1652542

 

[Aleelupton]

My husband is going to make a "coop" inside the coop that is insulated and mount the cozy coop heater inside with 2 roost bars. That way they have a warm area within the coop that will stay warmer. Our tiniest hen has been broody through all this weather. I haven't been able to break her of it and I'm afraid she will get too cold trying to sit on eggs by herself. I'm going to move her nest to the inside of this little coop and hopefully she will stay plenty warm enough in their instead of being stuck outside the little coop all by herself in the frigid cold.

 

[Aleelupton]

Thank you for being honest about it. As I am sure you know now the clamp is not a good way to secure the heat lamp. Very easily bumped into by the chickens.

Well I wouldn't lie about it...

We had the light very high so that the chickens shouldn't have been able to bump it, but I'm assuming that's what happened.

 

[BReeder!]

My husband is going to make a "coop" inside the coop that is insulated and mount the cozy coop heater inside with 2 roost bars. That way they have a warm area within the coop that will stay warmer. Our tiniest hen has been broody through all this weather. I haven't been able to break her of it and I'm afraid she will get too cold trying to sit on eggs by herself. I'm going to move her nest to the inside of this little coop and hopefully she will stay plenty warm enough in their instead of being stuck outside the little coop all by herself in the frigid cold.

Be sure to vent that mini coop inside the coop. A wooden box with a 1" gap along the top one the side opposite the heat plate should work.

 

[123RedBeard]

Well I wouldn't lie about it...

We had the light very high so that the chickens shouldn't have been able to bump it, but I'm assuming that's what happened.

It's possible ... also possible that a chicken got tangled in the cord and brought it down, not know how it was set up ...

Also possible that a bunch of dust built up, and then caught fire ... either on the bulb, or in a outlet or switch ...

While the clamps are nor very good, and most clamps are not secured to the actual light socket very well ... and I have seen them fail/fall ... there are other possibilities ...

 

[Aleelupton]

It's possible ... also possible that a chicken got tangled in the cord and brought it down, not know how it was set up ...

Also possible that a bunch of dust built up, and then caught fire ... either on the bulb, or in a outlet or switch ...

While the clamps are nor very good, and most clamps are not secured to the actual light socket very well ... and I have seen them fail/fall ... there are other possibilities ...

Yes, we are unsure of what happened. All we know is that something happened, our coop burnt down, and now we are finding other safer options for artificial heat if and when it's needed.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I used to have a regular heat lamp. I had it secured 3 ways so as a whole it wouldn’t fall. But I read about a fire with an experienced chicken keeper where she said the socket broke away from the whole frame work of the lamp and burned one side of her barn. I checked my socket in my lamp all the time after and sure enough it was loosey goosey hanging in that frame. The fix for that is to line and make a basket with chicken wire for that socket with the bulb ready to fall out. Or buy a flat panel heater or premier lamp...