Over a million chickens euthanized after Charles City plant closure

CHARLES CITY — Over a million chickens from 14 northern Iowa farms have been euthanized after the closure of a Charles City plant.

Pure Prairie Poultry had contracts with farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin and provided the chicks and their feed until the chickens were ready to be slaughtered and processed at the company’s plant in Charles City. The company closed the plant earlier this month after filing for bankruptcy.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture had taken over the care and feeding for the 1.3 million chickens. Court records show that Tyson had agreed to buy, process and sell the chickens, but attorneys for some of the plant’s creditors threatened to sue for part of Tyson’s profits and Tyson rescinded their offer.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture was not able to find another buyer, and with increasing costs of feed and care for the chickens, decided to euthanize the birds.

Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture says about 300,000 chickens being raised there were either processed, given away or euthanized.