Heat wave kills chicken in thousands in Marje3yoon

An Nahar daily reported today the death of thousands of chicken in the Marje3yoon area in the south as a result of the unprecedented heat wave where temperatures reached a record high of 45 degrees Celsius. The reported casualties led to losses estimated at tens of thousands of US dollars in the poultry sector that constitutes the main source of livelihood for many families. Some poultry farmers desperately used fans and water sprayed their chicken in a futile attempt to reduce the effect of heat, which paralyzed or killed the birds or made them inedible. Abbas Daher from the town of Khiam indicated that all what remained from the 10 thousand birds he raised at his ranch is 300 birds only, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture has sent a veterinary doctor to report on the situation. Daher also said that he is still waiting the municipality’s approval to bury the dead chicken according to hygienic and environmental standards, warning of the outbreak of unwanted diseases soon. 

(Source: An Nahar, August 4, 2015)