Excessive Heat Poses Threat To Delmarva Chicken Farms

GEORGETOWN, Del.- Farmers across Delmarva are working to keep their chickens cool as temperatures soar.

Temperatures at or above 100 degrees are deadly to chickens of all ages, said farmer Jim Baxter of Georgetown. Fresh out of the incubator, younger chicks generally handle warm weather better than older birds, Baxter said.

"The heat doesn't bother them like it does when they're seven-to-eight weeks old," Baxter said.

Despite the heat, representatives from the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Delmarva Poultry Industry said they have not heard of any major heat-related losses. DPI Executive Director Bill Satterfield said the invention and installation of ventilation systems has largely reduced such deaths during heat.

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