![]() ![]() ![]() According to clinical results, the death of the broiler chickens was due to exposure to noxious gas. Something similar occurred on a larger scale in 1999 in a poultry research facility in Missouri, where many birds in a 2400 bird broiler flock died over the course of several days. The conclusion was that the coating heated up during the use of the bulb, and in the enclosed coop produced high enough concentrations of toxic fumes to kill the chickens. The veterinarian researched the light bulb and found that it has a PTFE coating. The only thing that had changed in the management of the chickens was the installation of this light bulb. The veterinarian examined the chickens, and could find no disease. The deeply saddened flock owner had her chickens examined by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Service’s Veterinarian, a pathological specialist. The bulb’s packaging contained no information on the potential dangers and did not tell the composition of the shatterproof coating. The cause? She had recently purchased a shatter resistant light bulb and used it in her chicken coop. She went out to her chicken coop to find all of her chickens dead. We were recently contacted by a small flock owner whom this happened to. ![]() Birds (such as chickens or other poultry) are very sensitive to airborne toxins and can die from the exposure to such fumes. When these bulbs are used, they heat up, and if the glass wall of the bulb becomes hot enough the coating can release toxic fumes. These bulbs have or may have a coating made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which makes them shatter resistant. These include heat lamp bulbs, work lamp bulbs, and appliance bulbs. There are a number of shatter resistant light bulbs on the market today. Shatter resistant or safety coated light bulbs are a potential source for toxic fumes that can be dangerous to your chickens and other poultry. ![]()
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