Don't use heat bulbs

[Blooie]

I am so sorry. I'm so glad that you and your family weren't hurt! There is just nothing I can say to try to ease your suffering. Just know that beating yourself up won't ease your mind and you don't need the added pressure on yourself or your family right now. You thought you were doing the right thing, and in the end that's what we all want to do. If your experience helps save one more person from your anguish, then your bravery and honesty is to be commended.

 

[dekel18042]

So sorry for you loss but thank you for posting what happened. So many people think they must have heat in the coop without thinking what could be the consequences. Perhaps this will save a chicken's life.

 

[jennyf]

I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[TexasLisa]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Rebuild your coop and start again.

Most of us have lost chickens at one time or another. We will be there rooting for you, your husband, and your new puppy.

 

[azygous]

Any mistake we make that ends up in the death of our chickens is just so painful, there are no words to describe how it makes you feel. All you can do is hang onto the hope that it will hurt less each day you manage to get through.

Like, Blooie and the others, I feel your pain. It's sick-making. Nothing else comes close.

A little thing like tying a cotton or jute string to the heat lamp to secure it so it won't accidentally fall can be our undoing when the hot metal shade heats the string to combustion, falls down into the bedding underneath, and very quickly all is lost. The bulb itself doesn't even need to come into contact with a flammable material.

Other times, chickens themselves, in the midst of a squabble, can knock against the heat lamp and jar it out of position, resulting in one of the chickens catching fire and what then follows is pure tragedy.

There are just so many different ways heat lamps can cause more heartache than we can handle that the word simply must get around that they shouldn't be used around chickens, period.

I am so, so, achingly sorry you have to have this awful burden of grief.

 

[Hokum Coco]

. Lost all my laying hens and almost lost my bantam coop.

First and foremost

Sorry for your loss.

Your not the first and sadly you will
"NOT" be the last.

Thank you for having the courage
to share your Tragedy

Hardly a year goes by without a similar post.




If one person takes action to safe guard their coop to prevent something like this from happening again your loss would not have been in vain.
One coop fire is too much in my opinion.

If we could get manufactures to provide a "SAFETY CHAIN" in addition to the hanging bracket or at least a warning of the need of one on brooder and heat lamps it would go a long way in preventing "SOME" coop fires.

Another safe guard would be to have people use "GROUND FAULT" outlets (are code now in all bathrooms) when running extension cords to their coop or out buildings. The inconvenience of loosing power to your out building is far better than what can happen. Chickens do attract rodents which can initiate fires through extension cords.





Chicken owners can ill afford "NOT" Employing both of these safe guards when running electricity to a coop especially when using extension cords.

Many times either of these two devices would have went along way in preventing most coop fires.

I have the feeling there is a large majority of chicken owners out there that have electricity in there coop. As long as it is done wisely abiding to electrical codes there are few problems.

 

[csneill]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I think all of us chicken people can understand your heartbreak. And not just chicken people but pet owners in general. Thinking of you.

 

[bruceha2000]

I too am sorry for your loss. And I agree with "NO heat lamps".

If one is brooding chicks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update/
and if the birds are older:
How does this bird stay alive without a heat lamp?


Far too many people think chickens need heat. In reality, they do very well with their natural, adjustable, down coats.

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

Very sorry for your loss.

Did you find the specific cause? Was there faulty or overloaded wiring? Did the heat lamp fall?

Yeah the heat lamp fell. There was a heat lamp sized hole burned into the floor of the coop.

 

[Bawk2theFuture]

So sorry for you loss but thank you for posting what happened. So many people think they must have heat in the coop without thinking what could be the consequences. Perhaps this will save a chicken's life.

Im really hoping that people take this seriously.