Clarification: The State Fair does not euthanize the baby chickens. The chickens are not killed because they are infected, but to prevent the spread of any disease or bacteria the animals may have come in contact with when being held.
Sunday marked the final day of the 143rd North Carolina State Fair. The stories of the gross, yet intriguing Krispy Kreme burgers and the ordeals of traffic surrounding the fair have been packed away until 2011.
What won’t return next year are the baby chickens.
Every year, the University’s Poultry Science Club provides an exhibit at the N.C. State Fair where visitors can hold baby chickens and learn more about them. These baby chickens are euthanized at the end of the fair.
However, Travis Birdsell, co-owner of Birdsell Livestock and a 2009 alumnus, said this isn’t a matter of cruelty. It’s for the safety of everyone.
“These chicks aren’t like other chickens here,” Birdsell said. “With all of these people coming in and touching them, they could pick up something. We have these extreme biosecurity measures to ensure diseases, especially avian flu, aren’t spread.”
The chicks, which are provided by a University hatchery off Lake Wheeler Road, are called “broiler chicks.” These chicks are bred specifically for their meat, not their eggs, and have high growth rates, something Birdsell said most people don’t realize.
“They look cute now, but they are going to grow up and be big birds,” said Birdsell. “The biggest thing to know is no one is equipped to handle these birds.”
According to Birdsell, the birds aren’t killed in a massive, bloody slaughter. Rather, an approved method of euthanasia is used to make the process as humane as possible.
Birdsell said these baby chickens are the only “non-market” animals killed after the fair is complete. Other animals such as dairy cattle, breeder animals and most types of poultry return to their respective farms and will be brought back next year.
While Birdsell sold several breeds of other poultry at the fair, he said it simply isn’t possible to sell these chicks to anyone.
“If we sold even one of these chicks to anyone and it developed a disease, every chicken within a 50-mile radius would have to be killed,” Birdsell said.
Birdsell said this kind of massive slaughter would impact everyone, especially in a state that produces about $800 million in poultry every year.
“If we had to do that, it would be a huge deal,” said Birdsell. “The price of meat would go down simply because no one would eat any kind of poultry. Farmers would be put at risk because they wouldn’t be able to sell their animals. The U.S. would have export restrictions placed on it by other countries. We can’t handle that at an economic time like this.”
Alycia McLamb, a freshman in agriculture education and an FFA state officer, said she thinks this is an unfortunate part of the fair, but the inclusion of these animals is an important aspect of it.
“The fair is all about showcasing North Carolina agriculture,” McLamb said. “It’s unfortunate that this happens, but many North Carolinians and their children would never see chickens if it weren’t for the fair. But it is necessary to euthanize the poultry to keep consumers safe.”
Birdsell said the general American is often not exposed to livestock at all, and he said he believes exhibits at the fair are a great educational tool.
“We are the fourth generation removed from the farm,” Birdsell said. “This is really an educational process because a lot of these people have never been exposed to these animals. It’s really important to just have them out here so people can learn about the animals and where their food comes from.”
Birdsell said education is incredibly important, especially when it comes to issues such as the livestock euthanasia, since these are often complex and multifaceted ideas and problems.
“Any time animals are killed, people get up in arms. But from what I’ve seen, the people who make the most fuss are those who aren’t educated about these things,” said Birdsell. “I know it is hard to understand, but this really is necessary.”
