PALMYRA, Wis. — Over 3 million birds from a poultry farm in Jefferson County could soon be disposed of due to a bird flu outbreak, leaving nearby residents bracing for what they describe as an unbearable situation reminiscent of 2022.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Palmyra residents voice concerns after bird flu strikes same commercial farm twice
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection confirmed last week that bird flu was detected in a poultry flock owned by Daybreak Foods in Jefferson County. The discovery has left neighbors like Marianne Schulz worried about the return of overwhelming odors and constant truck traffic.
Watch: Palmyra residents plead for changes as massive bird disposal looms in county
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Palmyra neighbors brace for second mass chicken disposal as bird flu strikes Jefferson County
"The stench is unbelievable, like you can't even imagine it. You had to smell it. It's horrific," Schulz said.
Schulz experienced similar conditions in 2022 and fears the return of what she describes as a nightmare scenario.
"Hundreds of trucks every day starts at 6:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., in the morning, and it's just all day long," Schulz said.
Neighbor Kimberly Wortman shares those concerns about the potential impact on their community, including the possibility of infection in other animals, the potential for spread to water, among other concerns.
"It's nonstop traffic, it's nonstop stench, it's nonstop flies," Wortman said.
At a special town board meeting Monday, representatives from Daybreak Foods explained that state and federal regulations require them to bury the birds on their property as the best and approved disposal method. The process could begin as soon as Wednesday.
At the meeting, several residents expressed concerns over health and potential exposure.
Town leaders provided this handout from the Jefferson County Health Department at Monday's meeting.
The company's director of operations told residents that a professional composting company is preparing the site and will handle the cleanup compared to the previous incident. They are also planning to bring in an outside epidemiologist in order to try and stop the contamination from happening again.
The birds have yet to be culled.
Back in 2022, the commercial farm was under different ownership.
"We understand your complaints from the previous time this happened under previous supervision, and we're going to do the best we can to be different," Barrett, director of operations at Daybreak Foods, said.
One resident fired back, asking how it's legal to compost that many birds near farmland and homes.
Board members are urging residents to contact their state representatives to address the situation at a higher level.
"I just hope enough people step up and make changes. We need changes. We need huge changes," Schulz said.
Contact information and more updates are expected to be posted to the town of Palmyra website here:
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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