Had a fire in my coop this monring!!!!

[fowler_chick]

i thought i had my heat lamp pretty well clamped on to were i wanted it....turns out i didn't....i changed a reg bulb to heat bulb a few days ago due to incomming weather....every thing was fine at 7:30 am when i went to left them out.....dd went to check on the flock around 11:30 and found a 5 inch whole in the floor with shaving's it still smodering....3 of my BR hens got singed on there tails but seem to be ok.

 

[momofdrew]

Oh my that is scary...hope the birds are ok

 

[fowler_chick]

there ok but there not liking the smell of the fire in there

 

[ChickenCat]

I hate to sound like a broken record, but DO NOT rely on that clamp only to hold your lights.!! You've gotta wire it up extra. Man, you were lucky to only have a hole burnt in the floor. smoke inhalation is the first death from fire before the flames. Glad to the chickens are okay.Lessons for all of us.

 

[Firework]

Scairy!!

 

[fowler_chick]

it was a huge lesson to me....and a wake up call too.......when i went to clean it up and fix the floor i wired the lights to stay there.....right now my coop is all open and airing out despite how cold it is...we just bought about $500 dollers worth of show quility old english banites yesterday and this would of been a really stupid way of loosing them.

 

[Monk]

How old are your birds??? Usually a heat light isn't neccessary, especially this time of year for older birds. My birds are 5-1/2 months old, they seem to love the cool weather! We will be below freezing tonight, 30° or less. How cold is it in SW Kansas???

 

[Mahonri]

very scary... you are lucky you didn't lose the entire thing.

 

[patandchickens]

Wow, I'm glad your chickens are ok!!

The following is not directed at you personally but at other people who the title of this thread has attracted:

First, if the fixture has a clamp, be sure it is a heat-lamp fixture (is it really rated to 250 watts) -- most clamp lights are not made for that high wattage. It will say on a label on the socket you screw the bulb into.

Then, use a lamp ONLY when really NECESSARY. They *are* fire hazards, in this way and others too. Sometimes their benefits outweigh the risk, obviously, but they should not be used unless it there are serious issues involved.

If one is using a lamp, use only the wattage necessary to get the desired effect -- a lot of people use 250w bulbs when 175, 100 or even 60 would do just fine, particularly if the setup were rearranged a little. Lower wattage bulbs not only save you money, they are much safer (because of not getting nearly as hot)

Finally, as the o.p. has discovered, attach your lamp fixture from TWO SEPARATE POINTS on the lamp (none of them involving anything clamped onto anything else) to TWO SEPARATE POINTS on the coop ceiling or whatever, using heavy gauge wire or chain. This gives you considerable fail-safe insurance.

Y'all be careful,

Pat

 

[M To The Maxx]

I'm glad your chickens are okay!!!!