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About 1.3 million chickens and the growers caring for them were left in a crisis following a bankruptcy filing in Minnesota and closure of a chicken processing plant in Iowa. Many of those birds are expected to be euthanized.

After filing for bankruptcy and having the request dismissed, Pure Prairie Poultry Inc., of Fairfax, Minnesota, made the decision to no longer pay for feed for about 1.3 million chickens they owned that were being raised by growers across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to farmers contracted to grow their birds. They also closed their processing facility in Charles City, Iowa, leaving nowhere for the mature birds to go.

On Oct. 2, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship released a statement that they were taking 鈥渃are, custody and control of the birds鈥� in Iowa under Iowa Code Chapter 717 authority. They first sought to find a remedy in working with state, federal and industry partners, but no immediate solution was found.

The Department said they were working with farmers to provide feed and care for the animals. There are 14 Iowa farms growing the chickens for Pure Prairie Poultry, according to the Department.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has also stepped in to feed and handle about 300,000 of the chickens being raised in Minnesota on five sites.

鈥淚t is unfortunate that many of the Minnesota chickens owned by Pure Prairie Poultry Inc. were not able to enter the food supply as intended,鈥� MDA communications director Allen Sommerfield said in a statement. 鈥淪ince the company announced they were closing its Iowa-based processing plant last week and would be unable to process the chickens, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, along with state and federal partners, worked to ensure the chickens were fed and sought a processing solution for the animals. The MDA, farmers and partners were able process some birds, and that work continues.

"While the chickens do not pose a health or safety risk, the MDA will be utilizing emergency resources to ensure the remaining chickens are humanely depopulated according to American Veterinary Medication Association standards and overseen by experts from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health," Sommerfield added.

One farmer near Pierz, Minnesota, who was being contracted to grow the birds resorted to offering the birds for free, about 39,000 of them, on Facebook Marketplace. They noted in their post that they wanted to get the chickens to people who could use them before they were euthanized on Thursday, Oct. 10.

鈥淲hoever wants chickens come and get them our barn is getting euthanized on Thursday please come get what you want 鈥� tell anyone you know it鈥檚 horrible what they are doing we have 39000 chickens please help us.鈥�

Sommerfield said the number of birds being processed versus the number that would be euthanized was in flux as of Tuesday, Oct. 8. They were still working to get more of the birds processed. He added that the department was exploring options to recuperate costs incurred by the state.

The Iowa Department of Ag said 鈥渢he Department will seek reimbursement of the taxpayers鈥� costs from responsible parties, including through possible legal remedies. The Department has also notified relevant local law enforcement of the situation.鈥�

A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Ag said they could not comment further on the case as it was a pending legal matter.

Pure Prairie Poultry began operations in Charles City, Iowa, in 2021. The company closed its processing facility on Oct. 2 and let go of about 80 employees, according to Jon Austin, a spokesperson for Pure Prairie Poultry, as reported by Charles City Press on Oct. 3.