COVID-19-related staffing shortages at chicken processing plants will lead Maryland and Delaware farms to destroy nearly 2 million chickens NBC Washington reports.
The plants are currently unable to keep pace with the number of birds that are ready for harvest and they will not be processed for meat.
The plants were unable to find other options, such as allowing another company to take the chickens.
The trade group said that the extermination methods have been approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for handling cases of infectious avian disease.