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

[aart]

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.

No, more chickens won't really 'warm a coop'.

 

[casportpony]

"And almost all heating pads and electric blankets contain wires coated in PTFE."

Interesting quote from http://www.mickaboo.org/newsletter/oct10/Teflon.html

Thanks for pointing this out! I will certainly think twice the next time I need to use a heating pad to help keep a sick bird warm.

It makes sense though. While working in the electronics industry my personal preference was to use Teflon coated wire when soldering because the insulation on them does not melt, even when heated to 700 degrees f.

 

[moniquem]

I have been following this post from the beginning, it is truly an awful situation however....

Without the experience of the chicken folks on this site the killing culprit (simple light bulb) would never have been revealed. Good questions and thank you AaronandAlice for sharing your story and answering questions honestly.

 

[aart]

"And almost all heating pads and electric blankets contain wires coated in PTFE."

Interesting quote from http://www.mickaboo.org/newsletter/oct10/Teflon.html

Hmmmmm....many of us are using heating pads to heat chicks......may be they don't get hot enough to release fumes?....certainly not as hot as a heat bulb or a frying pan.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I think the temp toxic compounds start to release is 480ish. So they don't. I'll note though that scratched old non stick is thought to be much more dangerous than new. So old heating pads that have flexed 1000s of times could be more concerning. Zero evidence to back that claim though.

 

[AaronandAlice]

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!

Box was labeled- we just didn’t read it because it’s a light bulb- they all have warnings about fire danger if not used in the right lamp.

 

[casportpony]

Maybe the next time any of us are at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, etc we could take a look at the bulbs and together maybe we could come up with a list of bulbs that are safe to use?

 

[AaronandAlice]

I was going to post a video but it’s too large- he was crowing this morning and when he stopped there was residual noise like maybe he has fluid in his lungs. He’s still a bit shaky and doesn’t want to be held today. Trying to decide if we should give him penicillin or if it would be kinder to send him to meet his girls.

 

[casportpony]

I was going to post a video but it’s too large- he was crowing this morning and when he stopped there was residual noise like maybe he has fluid in his lungs. He’s still a bit shaky and doesn’t want to be held today. Trying to decide if we should give him penicillin or if it would be kinder to send him to meet his girls.

I hope he's okay To post a video you need to upload it to Youtube or Vimeo, then copy/paste the link here.

 

[TexasSam]

I was going to post a video but it’s too large- he was crowing this morning and when he stopped there was residual noise like maybe he has fluid in his lungs. He’s still a bit shaky and doesn’t want to be held today. Trying to decide if we should give him penicillin or if it would be kinder to send him to meet his girls.

Try some vet/rx and maybe some sav a chick