Entire flock dead overnight....locked in coop, no sign of predators

[MissChick@dee]

Scenario....lamp falls rooster is alarmed and attacks. Bites cord gets electrified and dies. Starts a small spark fire that dies out.
Next day chickens are out in the run. All is good. New bulb put in. Hens go in for the night.
Next day daughter opens door of coop and does not check the chickens in hurry for school or work. No one notices until after work the hens are dead.
I’m still thinking if was a Teflon coated shatterproof bulb. I’m so sorry

 

[Molpet]

It was just the rooster on night one...the other 9 on night 2. Maybe the cord on night one and the lamp on night two? Just having the lamp on is toxic?

Yes when the coated light is on it heats up and emits toxic fumes

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

I agree with the top post, I am so sorry for your loss, losing birds in numbers like that is hard.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Scenario....lamp falls rooster is alarmed and attacks. Bites cord gets electrified and dies. Starts a small spark fire that dies out.
Next day chickens are out in the run. All is good. New bulb put in. Hens go in for the night.
Next day daughter opens door of coop and does not check the chickens in hurry for school or work. No one notices until after work the hens are dead.
I’m still thinking if was a Teflon coated shatterproof bulb. I’m so sorry

That sounds like what happened.

Also, are you sure your wood chips aren't smoldering? If some of them got burnt did you remove them all from the coop? I had a bulb fall down in my coop and I found a large patch of smoldering wood chips that were smoking later on in the day. If that happened, they could have died of smoke inhalation overnight.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

From what I'm reading, burning PVC insulation produces phosgene gas, which is what they used during WWI to kill people.

"It was also determined that the principal decomposition and combustion products of a 50 percent PVC, one-gram sample in a one-square-meter volume at 1020 degrees Fahrenheit were 220ppm of CO, zero chlorine, 360 ppm of hydrogen chloride, and 0.10 ppm of phosgene. Phosgene has stronger adsorption characteristics on the mucous membranes of the lungs than hydrogen chloride. Its IDLH level was 2 ppm. It is dangerous after one-half to one hour exposure at 12.5 ppm, and fatal in one-half hour at 25 ppm. Phosgene hydrolyzes (reacts with water ions) to hydrogen chloride and CO at the bronchiales and alveoli of the lungs, causing pulmonary edema and asphyxiation."

https://www.ecmag.com/section/misce...c-gases-emitted-burning-electrical-insulation

 

[Redhead Rae]

I'll never use supplementary heat again, for anything but chicks. It isn't worth the risk of burning down your coop. Besides, if you lose your power on a cold night, your birds won't be hardened to the cold and will be in greater danger.

 

[Megswdw]

Found the package...it's splatterproof, not shatterproof. Says "Hardened Pyrex R glass designed not to shatter if contacted by liquids" It's by Orscheln.

 

[MissChick@dee]

From what I'm reading, burning PVC insulation produces phosgene gas, which is what they used during WWI to kill people.

I think we all can agree it was a perfect storm.
In the sadness of this whole situation people will learn.
That’s why we share our stories and experiences.
My heart goes out to the OP.
I could not imagine the heartbreak. I would be completely devastated.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Found the package...it's splatterproof, not shatterproof. Says "Hardened Pyrex R glass designed not to shatter if contacted by liquids" It's by Orscheln.

Doesn't sound like teflon coated. Were both bulbs the same? Or did you use the same bulb in a different fixture?

 

[Redhead Rae]

Found the package...it's splatterproof, not shatterproof. Says "Hardened Pyrex R glass designed not to shatter if contacted by liquids" It's by Orscheln.

If what I pulled up is the correct bulb, they are marketing it for animal use.