Over 1,500 chickens die at Cuddalore farms in 3 days

CUDDALORE: Around 1,500 chickens have died in the past two or three days in Cuddalore district. The Animal Husbandry Department is investigating the deaths.

The northeast monsoon has been bringing rain to Cuddalore district, and it also received widespread rainfall due to Cyclone Arnab, which formed over the Bay of Bengal. Erratic weather is suspected to be one of the reasons.

Meanwhile, chickens raised on farms in several places in Cuddalore district, including Tiruchopuram, Thammanampettai and Kurinjipadi, have been dying suddenly. Farm owners are concerned as batches of chickens raised for sale ahead of the Deepavali festival have been dying in large numbers.

The Cuddalore District Animal Husbandry Department officials were informed about the deaths. Accordingly, a team led by Joint Director Murugavel, along with Assistant Director Vengadalakshmi and other officials, inspected four farms in and around Thammanampettai. They examined the possible reasons for the sudden deaths of the chickens.

He added that weather conditions had been fluctuating between rain and sunshine. The farms were also located in areas prone to waterlogging and near the coast. As a result, humidity levels at the farms had been high, which could also be one of the reasons for the deaths. However, the cause could be confirmed only after the analysis of the test results.