Seven dead hens within 4 hours, not attacked. UPDATE: Teflon Poisoning!

[TwoCrows]

Only the rooster survived. in the end we lost 11 hens.

I had a hard time sleeping last night thinking about you and all you have been through. This has got to be tough times for you guys.

 

[AaronandAlice]

Alice, has your roo settled down some? I'm sure he's missing his girls.

I'm going to check on him soon. He didn't want to go in the coop last night- I found him perched on the big tire I had in their run and he was shivering. I picked him up and brought him in the coop and hung out with him a bit and held him. I gave him a little bit of cracked corn which he seemed happy to have something to peck at. I have some quick oats and I'll probably bring him up a bit warm this morning along with some tepid water. I was mostly nervous for him because he was shivering- I'm sure he had some effects of the toxicity even though it didn't kill him. I'll update again later.

I had a hard time sleeping last night thinking about you and all you have been through. This has got to be tough times for you guys.

Thank you, that is sweet. It is tough- especially because we can't start to rebuild a flock until spring. Before I had a room in our old house I could dedicate to the care of the chicks- here, there is none of that. I want to order chicks right now for delivery on my birthday. (May 1st) By then, even if the house isn't totally done I should have a walled in room with electricity.

 

[TwoCrows]

I'm going to check on him soon. He didn't want to go in the coop last night- I found him perched on the big tire I had in their run and he was shivering. I picked him up and brought him in the coop and hung out with him a bit and held him. I gave him a little bit of cracked corn which he seemed happy to have something to peck at. I have some quick oats and I'll probably bring him up a bit warm this morning along with some tepid water. I was mostly nervous for him because he was shivering- I'm sure he had some effects of the toxicity even though it didn't kill him. I'll update again later.

Thank you, that is sweet. It is tough- especially because we can't start to rebuild a flock until spring. Before I had a room in our old house I could dedicate to the care of the chicks- here, there is none of that. I want to order chicks right now for delivery on my birthday. (May 1st) By then, even if the house isn't totally done I should have a walled in room with electricity.

I hope this dark cloud that is following you lifts soon. Just keep pushing forward. Wish I lived closer to you to lend you a hand.

 

[AaronandAlice]

I hope this dark cloud that is following you lifts soon. Just keep pushing forward. Wish I lived closer to you to lend you a hand.

Thank you

Winter has always been my least favorite season. It's dark, it's cold, it's confining. This year more so because we're 4 people and a dog living in 650 sq. ft. instead of 3200 sq ft. Spring will come, and so will our new house and new chicks.

 

[JMotuzick]

I can find hens here on craigslist, you might be able to do the same? Let us know how your boy is doing!

 

[TexasSam]

I had a hard time sleeping last night thinking about you and all you have been through. This has got to be tough times for you guys.

X2 y'all been on my mind

 

[BY Bob]

Hello there... I am Alice's husband. I just want to say, that this was very much my fault. Although I did not know that a Teflon lamp would harm/kill chickens, I am the one who took the bulb out of the package and told her to use it to heat the coop. I have been servicing commercial food equipment for over 27 years now, and not once have I ever read the box that the lamps come out of. These are the very same bulbs that keep the wing bar food warm at your grocery stores.

The terrible scene in the coop I witnessed while Alice was posting with you folks last night, brought a wave of fear over me, that was confirmed as I read the lamp box. Although we had no idea, I feel responsible for this. It is our first time brooding chickens, and we went in with a lot of researching what needed to be done first. Nothing can prepare you for this. I just went through the posts, and see Alice taking the blame. I assured her it was ok to use the bulb, because it just produces heat. I am having a hard time accepting the result. Truly, I had never heard of any dangers of PTFE. I am sorry this even happened, but I am thankful you folks are comforting her. We will do what we can to revive the remaining 2 birds. The rooster actually seems unscathed by it all. Thank you for your support and friendship. It means a lot. Alice puts in 99% of the work everyday to keep them fed, warm, safe. I let her down. And that's the worst...

These things can happen to anyone. Before my hours roaming on BYC I would never have known about this. This could have been me 3 years ago. For example, I lost my first hen to a hawk 6 months in. I had no idea hawks would attack a large bird in my suburban backyard. It cost Dolly her life. You never forget, but you learn. My coop and run are Fort Knox now and no free ranging without supervision.

I know this will not make the loss any easier but you made a mistake that many others have and will make. Hug your wife, support her and the remaining chicks and keep reading BYC to learn from others this community is one of the best resources your birds will ever have.

I am so sorry this has happened to you and we will keep you in our prayers.

 

[TexasSam]

Just a thought but remember your boy is the only one in that coop he is going to need help warming it up. Before you plenty of birds to warm it now he needs a heat source to warm it up enough to protect him.

 

[Patinas]

I am just blown away about this light bulb nightmare! Who would have ever thought a light bulb could be so deadly to chickens!! Geezz!

So glad to have found this information but sad for the OP and losing so many birds. Seems like any teflon coated bulbs should clearly post on the packaging that they are coated and deadly to poultry. That's important information right?!! The fact they are so deadly to poultry is enough for me to know I don't want them around me or my family either! Scary!

 

[BY Bob]

If I had a rooster that nice I would not give him up, I would get him a couple of lady friends off of Craigs list. After our last loss that's where I found full grown hens to pair with my lone surviving hen

You can always do fresh chicks in the spring and bring them into his flock as they grow