Soaring temperatures hit US poultry farmers

Many farmers are losing hundreds of birds, despite taking numerous steps to lessen the effects of heat stress.

“Some of these farmers are running their fans and cooling cells non-stop but are still losing a lot of birds,” said University of Arkansas agricultural extension agent Stephen Stone.

A farmer in County said in one day he can lose 100 chickens from a house of 45-day-old birds, and 350-400 altogether from 8 houses.

It has been reported that the recent practice of growing larger birds has compounded the problem of heat stress, because as chickens grow larger, they are less able to handle high temperatures.