Farms in Delaware and Maryland will kill two million chickens because so many employees have stopped coming to work since the coronavirus pandemic struck, CNN reports.
The dropoff in worker attendance at the Delmarva Poultry Industry farms is due to "additional community cases of COVID-19, additional testing, and people practicing the 'stay home if you're sick' social distancing guidance from public health officials."
The Maryland Department of Agriculture said it knew about Delmarva's decision to perform "depopulations" or to euthanize the chickens on April 9 and "continues to monitor for any developments."
Delmarva said the chickens will be depopulated through "approved, humane methods" that are approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association and all state and local guidelines.
Last week, a contract egg farm in Minnesota was forced to euthanize 61,000 chickens due to a sudden fall in demand after coronavirus forced the closure of school cafeterias and restaurants.
"MDA is only involved in depopulations when it is done in response to animal health concerns," the department said in a statement. "This particular case was a private decision made by an individual business."
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