Poultry farm fire kills 160,000 chickens
FLORIDA - Workers at Green Valley Poultry Farm began repairs Monday, a day after a fire swept through a 37,000-square-foot chicken house, killing 160,000 chickens.Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were investigating the fire, which caused more than $2 million in damage.
Rodney Wagner, owner of Dutt & Wagner, which operates the poultry farm, said he believed it could be an accidental electrical fire.
"There are four miles of wiring running through the building," Wagner said. "It wouldn't take a rat more than five minutes to chew through two wires and start a fire."
The company plans to rebuild the destroyed chicken house, and Monday workers began replacing a damaged conveyor belt that carries eggs from seven chicken houses to a cleaning area.
Wagner said he didn't expect the loss of chickens and eggs to create a shortage.
Source: Miami Herald
22 February 2006
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