Heatwave Kills Hundreds of Thousands of Poultry Birds in France

France's poultry farms are grappling with devastating losses as a severe heatwave causes the deaths of hundreds of thousands of birds. The extreme temperatures have saturated carcass collection services, forcing authorities to consider on-site burial for the deceased animals in key poultry-producing regions.

Farmers describe the situation as unprecedented. Stéphane Delapré, a poultry farmer with 42 years of experience, reported losing approximately half of his chickens and a smaller percentage of his quail. "In 42 years of career, I have never seen this," he told AFP, explaining that temperatures reached 40-41°C despite efforts to ventilate buildings and provide shade.

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In 42 years of career, I have never seen this.

Clément Blanchard, a 32-year-old chicken farmer in the Pays de la Loire region, reported losing around 700 birds in a few days, a stark contrast to the usual one or two deaths per day. "We are facing the same thing with our animals as with ourselves: they are suffering enormously from the heat, and at these times, mortality rates are abnormally high," he stated.

Agricultural organizations, including the Chambers of Agriculture in Brittany and Pays de la Loire, which together account for nearly 60% of France's poultry population, have alerted to "considerable" mortality. Yann Nedelec of the poultry sector group ANVOL estimates that at least several hundred thousand birds have died, though a precise figure is still unavailable. France is the third-largest poultry producer in the European Union.

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We are facing the same thing with our animals as with ourselves: they are suffering enormously from the heat, and at these times, mortality rates are abnormally high.