Thousands of Wisconsin Chickens Given Away After Meat Processor Shutdown
Nearly 200,000 chickens raised for meat in Wisconsin are being given away after Pure Prairie Poultry, a Minnesota-based meat company, went bankrupt at the end of September.
The company’s closure left farmers without a way to transport their chickens to processing plants or provide feed for the animals.
Breanna Patz, a poultry student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, has been coordinating efforts to connect the chickens with people who can take them.
“Anyone that could come and take chicken, take as many chickens as you would like,” Patz said, acknowledging the critical situation.
Since Pure Prairie Poultry’s closure, some farms have been forced to pay out-of-pocket for feed, while others couldn’t afford it, leaving some chickens without food for days.
“The farmers were just kind of stuck there and in limbo, and the situation just got worse and worse and worse with the birds starving,” Patz explained.
Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture could not intervene due to state regulations.
“We have heard from a small number of Wisconsin growers and have been in contact with the company, our neighboring states, and the federal government to identify options for them,” said Sam Go, Communications Director for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Patz, determined to help, took to social media to connect farms with people willing to pick up and process the chickens. She runs the Pips ‘n Chicks Facebook page, where she has been updating the situation.
“These farmers care so much for these birds. These are their livelihood. They’ve put a lot of time, a lot of effort, months of work into these birds,” she said.
“And this is not something they took lightly, and the whole reason right now they’re dispersing and getting rid of these birds is because they’ve kind of said enough is enough. To keep them any longer is inhumane.”
Several farms in Mondovi, Eleva, and Galesville have now been emptied as people pick up the chickens, while others still have birds available as the giveaway continues.
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