Farmed Hens Killed In Huge Texas Barn Fire

A massive fire broke out at Feather Crest Farms in Bryan, Texas, resulting in the deaths of thousands of intensively farmed hens used for egg production. The exact number of hens killed in the fire is unknown, but it is estimated to be tens of thousands. Animal rights activists criticized the response to the tragedy, highlighting the lack of outrage compared to if the victims had been cats or dogs.

Feather Crest Farms, owned by MPS Egg Farms, is one of the largest egg producers in the US, with millions of laying hens. The intensive egg industry in the US confines hens to battery cages where they are unable to carry out natural behaviors, and male chicks are killed at birth as they are considered surplus. The loss of life in barn fires like this one raises concerns about the welfare of farmed animals and the conditions they are subjected to in the commercial egg industry.