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03. 07. 12. - 16:11
5,000 chickens suffocate trying to get fresh air
More than 5,000 chickens suffocated and died a painful death after they crushed each other to death trying to get out for fresh air at a poultry farm in Studenzen in the Austrian province of Styria.
The poultry farm houses over 30,000 chickens at any one time. There are four parts which each hold around 8,000 chickens.
As outside temperatures rose to over 35 degrees Celsius the temperature rose extremely in the factory.
Johann Kicker, the owner, said: "It was in the sun all day. Even though we have ventilators it appears there was a build up of heat in the night. The chickens tried to get out for fresh air by the doors.
There was a blockage as the panicked chickens tried to force their way out, and crushed each other. Many of them then suffocated.
Kicker continued: "We had an alarm system fitted and the ventilators were all working. There did not seen to be any problem. The alarm did not start going off either."
The fire service attended and removed the dead animals and disposed of them
The chickens were due to be slaughtered today anyway, said the manager. None of the dead chickens ended up on the market.
