Heat lamp defender turned hater after one nasty shock

For three winters I swore by heat lamps in the coop, even through the paranoia about fires. I set mine up with chains and clamps in Denver, checked it daily, never had an issue. Then last February I walked out to a dead bulb and a wet straw patch, and when I grabbed the cord the exposed prongs bit me hard enough to drop me to my knees. Turns out a rat had chewed through the insulation overnight, and my 'safe' setup was one gnaw away from disaster. I yanked it out that morning and switched to a flat panel radiant heater meant for reptiles, cost me $60 at a shop in Aurora. Still warm, zero fire risk, and my girls huddle under it just the same. Has anyone else made the switch away from lamps, or am I the only one who needed a personal shock to wake up?

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lisa_grant22h ago

Guess my body decided to become a ground wire before my brain caught up. My husband still jokes that I did the electric slide without the music, and honestly, the hens probably got a better show than I did. Swapped to a radiant panel myself after my cat knocked a lamp down last fall, and now the only shock I get is the power bill. Funny how a little zap to the knees beats a house fire any day.