The number of people who choose to keep chickens on their property for meat or eggs is on the rapid rise even in urban locations.
In the UK, close to three quarters of a million people now own a chicken coop.  This is an increase of 80% in three years!
Lots of chicken keeping newbies, however, can lead to disaster if the wrong type of equipment is selected for the chicken coop.
The June/July 2012 issue of Backyard Poultry magazine, for instance, details the sad story of a woman who lost an entire flock of 19 chickens from teflon coated light bulbs installed in the coop which off gassed deadly fumes.
The bulbs in question were shatter resistant, GE Rough Service worklight bulbs coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, aka teflon.
When heated, the bulbs emit gas that is deadly to birds who are particularly sensitive to polluted air. There is currently no warning label on the fowl foul GE bulbs although other brands like Sylvania apparently do carry a warning.
So, backyard chicken keepers beware! Â Do not use the shatter resistant bulbs coated with teflon in your chicken coops. Â I would imagine the fumes would prove deadly to turkeys too.
Oh, and by the way, those teflon pans in your kitchen should go too. Â If the fumes from heated teflon are so deadly to your poultry, they are no doubt unhealthy for you to be breathing too!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
All the natural food is great ….as much as is possible and what YOU choose . We all have to choose what is possible and what we can economically afford . It is not always a “moral ” decision. Who’s moral decision will it be ??? We have canine teeth … Why ? We are carnivores and we weren’t before the flood ?
Fascism says … “THIS is correct ” I do believe in an absolute truth. But that is in spiritual truth. Gods truth created freedom. Not bondage. I know my chickens roam in free fields , perhaps yours don’t, that’s ok by me you decide about the food you eat , not the govt .
Merci Leila mais on utilise pas de lumiere pour nos cocotes! On les laisse pondre selon leur rythme! Je pense que c’est une question de dosage de mais… Elle etait trop grosse et a du faire une crise cardiaque je pense…
We use regular bulbs in the brooder, and also all winter long, here in Alaska, otherwise we would get no eggs, from the lack of light. We use just one curly bulb for that purpose.
Stephanie Kyles
Elissa Fernandez
Heat lamp until they have their feathers. Then they are fine without any heat source. Even in cold NE winters. As long as the coop is the right size for the amount of chickens, they will produce enough heat to keep themselves warm.
Valerie Kinzey you might like this article.
Oh I read about this in Mother Earth News! Thank you for sharing it!!!
I was going to say, if Teflon coated light bulbs are killing chickens, i wonder that is doing to us when cooking on teflon coated pans.
Yikes…I’ve got my chicks under some bulbs. I’d better go check what brand they are!