My coop burned down

[Frazzemrat1]

I'm so sorry about your coop, but I'm so relieved that your flock is alright!!

 

[nychick83]

So sorry for your loss! Please PM me - I own a website that sells coop plans, if you plan on building a new coop I will send you whatever plans you like, for free.

All the best.
-Maria

 

[tigger19687]

I am so sorry, I just read this

SO GLAD that the chickens are ok ! And even better that you have an extra coop !
I think they will be so lucky to be in a garage for the Winter

I think we all are going to be very worried about our water heaters this year.
I have the heated dog bowl but not plugged in just yet

 

[Hokum Coco]

First and foremost my condolences on the loss of your coop.
It has happened every year since I became a member on this site.
It does not make the loss less tragic in any respect.
There are times when electricity is a definite advantage in your coop.

My method for dealing with winter is quite simple one extra feeder of whole corn. I live in Canada subject to -40º. I have 67 trips around the sun. I have raised various types of chickens and birds for decades.

TLC still has to be provided to birds that may not be adapting well to the diet. For the most part birds are vocal happy and do just fine. NO HEAT NO EXTRA LIGHT please and thank you works fine for me and my flock.

If for any reason you find it necessary to supply electricity to your coop via extension cord.

Please employ a "Ground Fault Outlet" also use a "Safety Chain" in conjunction to any heat lamp or incandescent bulb after mounting.
One coop fire is too many and these precautions could be the difference.

A simple action such as a rodent chewing on your extension cord could be the cause of a coop fire and a ground fault circuit could be the difference in witnessing your coop in tack or a pile of smoldering ash.

P.S. There are now a variety of ground fault extension cords available in major retail centers that also would be a wise investment.

 

[Hokum Coco]

A GFCI WILL NOT protect overload that does not short to ground! If you provided a fuse just about 20% bigger than the load in a melt down the fuse will blow. .

GOOD POST

 

[The Great Eel Man]

Sorry about your coop. I just started using the same style heater in my bucket. (250 watt) Maybe i'll make a wire frame for it to sit on, instead of the bottom of the bucket.

Yeah, that's probably best so that it doesn't melt a hole in the bottom if something malfunctions or you just run out of water. I'll almost definitely do something like that in my next coop just to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[The Great Eel Man]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Regardless of the cause of the fire, I'm glad your chickens are OK and the fire didn't spread further.

Thanks

 

[The Great Eel Man]

You may want to consider silicon-free stonedust (commonly known on BYC as "sand" or "construction sand") for your next coop's bedding. Fires won't spread as quickly since stonedust is as flammable as a rock is (this is more of a just-in-case reason - obviously discerning the cause of the fire is foremost). However in extreme cold (I'm guessing below 10 Fahrenheit/-12 Celsius) this is problematic for keeping chickens warm as their feet will get cold. Straw overtop would eliminate the issue in those really cold times, but then you'd be back to square one. Cleanup is just like cleaning a litterbox (do it every few days) and you only need to change it once per year (which takes a lot of sweat).

Just something worth considering. I'm confident you'll pick what's best for your flock.

I like the idea, but like you said, yeah it gets pretty cold like -40F, I think i'll just make sure to prevent the fire from starting as best I can, like what blackdog said by putting a wire frame at the bottom of the bucket and fully securing the heat lamp (If we choose to use one again) But I do want to use a heat lamp just to make sure that they can't get any more frostbite.

 

[The Great Eel Man]

I would be careful when getting a used coop.
Keep in mind that diseases are spread through poop, or feathers, and goodness knows what else.
You don't want to give your girls something that AJAX wont take off.
My suggestion. Go to Home Depot, buy 1--3 big cardboard boxes, cut some ventilation holes in it, and join it together. 15 dollar temp coop. then get to building your new one.

Well, like I said before, I think my best plan at this point is to build a small coop in a space in my garage over the Christmas break (So they don't have to deal with any more cold) and move that out in the spring and see if I can't get a better system set up. After all our old coop was kind of a little too crazy design wise (it was essentially a pentagon) and I'd at least like to see this as an opportunity for improvement.

 

[The Great Eel Man]

First and foremost my condolences on the loss of your coop.
It has happened every year since I became a member on this site.
It does not make the loss less tragic in any respect.
There are times when electricity is a definite advantage in your coop.

My method for dealing with winter is quite simple one extra feeder of whole corn. I live in Canada subject to -40º. I have 67 trips around the sun. I have raised various types of chickens and birds for decades.

TLC still has to be provided to birds that may not be adapting well to the diet. For the most part birds are vocal happy and do just fine. NO HEAT NO EXTRA LIGHT please and thank you works fine for me and my flock.

If for any reason you find it necessary to supply electricity to your coop via extension cord.

Please employ a "Ground Fault Outlet" also use a "Safety Chain" in conjunction to any heat lamp or incandescent bulb after mounting.
One coop fire is too many and these precautions could be the difference.

A simple action such as a rodent chewing on your extension cord could be the cause of a coop fire and a ground fault circuit could be the difference in witnessing your coop in tack or a pile of smoldering ash.

P.S. There are now a variety of ground fault extension cords available in major retail centers that also would be a wise investment.

What area of new Brunswick do you live in, because I know that it can be a lot warmer there than here (specifically USDA zones) and I also had the cord plugged into a GFCI outlet that was pre-installed on my house and had just purchased that high quality outdoor extension cord (That just ended up getting destroyed!) because I read your other post on this issue and was concerned about any sort of problems with the connection itself.