Chicken Coop Precautions In Cold Weather

If the high cost of eggs has you considering starting your own backyard chicken flock, fire officials urge you to understand the safety risks.  Bend, OR Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Marshal Dan Derlacki said his agency responded to a pair of chicken coop fires in the past week, both caused by electrical problems associated with heating lamps.

“A lot of times, those are run through extension cords and very inexpensive heat lamps. And there are some precautions that need to be taken to prevent those coops from catching on fire.”

Derlacki suggests using screws or zip-ties to attach the lamps, instead of only relying on the built-in clamp.  And he added make sure the extension cord is heavy duty and rated for outdoor use.

“Do research, there’s lots of backyard resources out there, backyard flock resources on YouTube, that will give you lots of ideas of how to make it safe.”

The same precautions, he said, should be taken if you’re heating an outdoor dog kennel.

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