WARNING- westinghouse red brooder bulbs sold at Tractor Supply have a non-stick coating (Teflon?) ac

[fantomas]

I will be picking up some day old chicks in a week or two. Can anyone confirm or deny if either of these bulbs are ok?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_18669-3-14663_0__
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/jobsmartreg;-red-heat-bulbs-pack-of-2

 

[quintoc72]

Looking at Westinghouse and TS websites, Westinghouse makes two different red heat bulbs that are mostly identical, except one has a non-stick coating (item #0348300) and the other does not (item #0391700). Tractor Supply carries both on their website. Perhaps this is why many people have had not issues, but the original poster could have and an issue, if they have the coated bulbs.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

Dang it, I'm struggling. I want to switch to a red bulb in my duck house, but I can't confirm if the brand and type are safe.

It is a 250W red colored infrared bulb made by Havells. It is "SPLATTERPROOF! Hardened borosilicate glass designed not to shatter if contacted by liquids"

They sell them like crazy at a quasi-feedstore here in town and I haven't heard any reports of birds being fumed by these. As far as I can tell, borosilicate is pyrex, which I think is safe for use with birds. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

Dang it, I'm struggling. I want to switch to a red bulb in my duck house, but I can't confirm if the brand and type are safe.

It is a 250W red colored infrared bulb made by Havells. It is "SPLATTERPROOF! Hardened borosilicate glass designed not to shatter if contacted by liquids"

They sell them like crazy at a quasi-feedstore here in town and I haven't heard any reports of birds being fumed by these. As far as I can tell, borosilicate is pyrex, which I think is safe for use with birds. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

I used this bulb all night for the first time and my 2-month old ducks seem to be fine this morning!

 

[rc4u]

gee I have used these coated bulbs every time and I have never had a problem and I use three at a time and never lost a bird...I don't think that was cause of OP's loss ...but people have to blame something instead of themselves or just a sickness..if truly was a problem I think it would be very widespread. not just here and there for blame reasons....but to each there own...jeff

 

[midwayfarms]

gee I have used these coated bulbs every time and I have never had a problem and I use three at a time and never lost a bird...I don't think that was cause of OP's loss ...but people have to blame something instead of themselves or just a sickness..if truly was a problem I think it would be very widespread. not just here and there for blame reasons....but to each there own...jeff

I really think ventilation is a key factor if the bulb has the coating and vapors are present. I have used coated bulbs many times but my brooder is inside my coop and it is very well vented. the bulb is actually about 2 1/2 feet above them which works to keep temp right because I have another heat bulb as my main light in the coop until it gets warm. I try to keep my entire coop at about 85F. This works well for all of my other animals.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

gee I have used these coated bulbs every time and I have never had a problem and I use three at a time and never lost a bird...I don't think that was cause of OP's loss ...but people have to blame something instead of themselves or just a sickness..if truly was a problem I think it would be very widespread. not just here and there for blame reasons....but to each there own...jeff

Thanks for sharing your experience, it helps!

I think there are, or were some bulbs that emitted toxic fumes, but I get the impression that these bulbs were never intended for brooding. Like they were originally designed for different uses and sold at hardware stores. The hardened glass bulb that I just started using says specifically for "pig and poultry brooding." But as a new duck person, I am a bit paranoid so probably thought too much about the worst case scenario. After doing a bunch of research and hearing about experiences like yours, I realize this bulb is used commonly for brooding and heating coops and is safe.

I will be using the same bulb to brood a new batch of ducklings this week.

 

[JH731]

We hatched 5 little baby chicks in our brinsea incubator on Friday. 6 days later they were happy as could be in their little brooder growing fast etc. We decided to keep them in our laundry room which is next to our kitchen for the time being till we could move them into our garage. I received a call from my wife around 6pm frantically saying the chicks are all dying! She said she heard one of them peeping loudly and she went to check on them to see one not able to get up which went to convulsion like symptoms followed quickly by gasping for air and death in a mater of minutes. Then the next chick and the next chick and the next all began doing the exact same thing. They went from walking to sitting to convulsing and death. within about 15 minutes all 5 chicks died.

I couldnt believe what I was hearing. I thought maybe we had a carbon monoxide leak or something. I asked what she was doing right when she heard the loud peeping. She said she was cooking dinner in our oven and opened the oven drawer to put the food in once the oven had preheated. I did research and realized what had happened.

We have oven liners in the bottom of the oven. I found out that these simple non stick oven liners are made of 65% PTFE (Teflon) and 40% fiberglass. As soon as she opened the drawer it released the poisoning gasses which entered the chicks brooder and killed them in a matter of minutes. It was awful and could have been prevented had we had known.

Hopefully this doesnt happen to anyone else and if you decide to have your brooder in home keep them away from the kitchen in highly ventilated areas. In the mean time we are throwing out those oven liners and every pot/pan that has non stick or teflon coatings on them. If the fumes are powerful enough to kill birds in minutes thats reason enough for us to switch to a safer alternative.

 

[bdfive]

I've read through this thread and initial feeling was anger at irresponsible manufactors but now feel dispare at how we are all at the mercy of the industries selling us products thinking only of the money they can make. How do we protect ourselves in this day and time. I love my peafowl. I cry when I loose one. They are tame pets and like family to me. I've used heat lamps for peachicks and lost none but did have 5 young White Bobwhite Quail die 1 at a time over a two to three week period. I have the 2 red heat lamp bulbs I used and will find out if they could have been the reason. I searched for hours and hours on internet for a reason for their deaths. I immediately wormed them, I called friends with birds and breeders. I try everything I knew and finally took the last Quail to a friend I'd already given some Quail chicks to. They accepted the newcomer and it lives now. I take excellent care of my birds worming all of them every 6 months. I feed high end feed and the expensive Farmer's Helper UltraKibble. They get veggies, fruit, nuts and all kinds of healthy food. It's really upsetting to know after all that money and time that a lightbulb could be the demise of some of my chicks. It's discusting. I don't take death easy when I loose birds. The culprits are raccoons, fox, bobcats or great horned owls hunting adult peafowl on their roosts high up in trees at night. I've lost 3 in 7 years. My aviaries are predator proof. All the precautions I take and now have to educate myself on lightbulbs to keep my birds safe.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

I read this thread last year. I decided to get the ecoglow brooder heater and have raised 3 hatches with it. I have eggs in the incubator now. Lock down is sunday. I will be using the ecoglow. Yes it was a chunk of change when I first got it, but I don't want to have to worry about bulbs, gases or fire. I screw up enough on my own. This heater has saved me from some of my worries!