April 29, 2011

US storms kill five million chickens and damages poultry industry

Alabama officials said on Thursday (Apr 28) that up to 25% of the poultry houses in the state were destroyed or damaged by the tornado outbreak, likely killing millions of birds and causing severe damage to the state's poultry industry.

Government officials in Alabama, the No.3 chicken-producing state behind Arkansas and Georgia, said preliminary reports indicate that about 200 poultry houses were destroyed and another 180 were damaged by Wednesday's fierce storms.

Alabama agricultural officials were having a difficult time gauging the damage because many rural roads were impassable on Thursday (Apr 28). Likewise, electric power was out and telephone systems were down in many areas.

"We do anticipate the number of poultry mortalities to be substantial and we are currently working with poultry companies along with their growers to determine all damages," said Dr. Tony Frazier, Alabama's State Veterinarian.

Chicken farming is a multibillion-dollar industry in Alabama, where a typical poultry house contains about 20,000 birds.

The Alabama Poultry and Egg Association estimated that five million chickens probably died in the tornadoes, which slammed the northern part of the state, where the industry is centered.

That alone isn't enough to disrupt chicken supplies nationally. The state usually produces about 21.5 million chickens in a week, while the US produces roughly nine billion chickens annually.

But industry officials cautioned that Alabama's bird losses could swell if many farmers are not able to quickly re-establish water supplies. The tornadoes damaged many rural water systems.

"Power outages and loss of drinking water could worsen an already critical situation for poultry producers and meat processors," said John McMillan, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries.