Seeing all these questions about brooding reminded me of an experience I had last year with one of my brooding units. I was using the proper brooder light fixture with the usual 250 watt infra red light bulb in my unheated chicken coop. I came in one morning to discover that the glass portion of the bulb had separated from the metal screw-in part. If I hadn't been using a fixture with the metal cage on it the hot bulb would have fallen into the sawdust bedding and probably burnt the barn down. I had no idea that these bulbs could separate like that and actually had 2 more do the same thing last year when I went to remove them from the socket. No, I didn't screw them in too tight but what I think did happen is they over heated because I had suspended plywood or metal over top of the fixture in order to trap more heat in. I did leave about 4" or more over the fixture but I guess that wasn't enough. I complained to the store I bought the bulbs from but this happened with 2 different brands. This year I am using yet another brand that guarantees the bulb and base won't separate for the life of the bulb but I still won't cover them up like last year. So the moral of the story is: use the proper light fixture for these hot-burning bulbs and make sure it has its little cage attached.

-- Kathy (homefarmbc@pacificcoast .net), May 02, 2002

Answers

Kathy-What brand gives that guarentee? I have the same problem and I would like to try the new brand.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), May 02, 2002.

We use a large wooden box about 2 1/2 ft. by 4 ft. with that kind of lamp. have a wooden lid that fits the box. Have a diagonal chunk cut off one corner of the lid and the light hangs in that corner. We also have had bulbs separate when unscrewing them, but thanks for the warning about them overheating.

-- Dianne Wood (woodgoat@pacifier.com), May 02, 2002.

A few years back we were brooding 25 meat chicks in coop on legs, it was mostly wood. We had a heat lamp in it. At 4 oclock one morning our neighbor came and beat on our bedroom window and told us we had a fire, sure enough the whole thing was up in flames, chicks and all. Um I wonder if that is what happened to ours.

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), May 03, 2002.