Just a scarey Reminder for those raising baby chicks with heat lamp

[Waldorbigbill]

I have always raised my baby chicks with a 75 watt bulb in a homemade tank that I have.made. This year my wife picked up six new chicks for out kids to raise. The lady talked her into a 250 watt heat bulb which i was worried about. .but i figured i give it a try since now the kids are older we keep the house in the low 60's .Well today I decided to take the day off and good thing I did. Unknown to me my five year old took the lid off the tank when he did must have hit the nut on the lamp making it loose. About half hour after they left I smelled this smoldering smell. Thank God I was home the wood shaving was starting to smolder and few minutes more they would have caught fire. But let this just show other people those big bulbs are no toys they must be watched. I can see how you could over heat the babys quickly if not used properly. So for now on it only runs when we are home and go back to the 75 watt when we leave the house.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Last year I had our heat lamp (75 watt) fall on our poor chickies. Since they were in the laundry room in our basement with the doors closed, you couldn't hear it fall when you were down there. I was sitting upstairs and I heard peep-peep-peeping coming up from the air vents. I went down there, not expecting to find anything. Once I opened the laundry room door, I saw the lamp....on top of my chicks. It was horrible! About 5-7 chicks got trapped under the lamp, killing 2 bantams. The others chicks, we rushed to the bathroom and washed them with cold water. One of those chicks, we didn't know at the time, had gotten a broken leg from the outer-metal part of the lamp falling on him. The other 5 chicks were okay after a night of cold water, but a few months later they got cocci Now we have a top over our brooder with the heat lamp on the outside!

 

[Coupe]

I had a 100 watt light on top of the brooder once, left to go to a friends down the road..i was there for an hour and told her i had to leave cause i felt somthing was wrong...came home , opend my front door and my house was filled with smoke!!!!! My dogs had knocked over the lamp and it had burned threw my carpet and was burnig the wood underneith!!! im so glad i came home when i did and listened to my gut feeling. Now all lamps are attached to the tops of the cages!