DADE CITY, Fla. (AP) — A fire has killed nearly a quarter-million chickens at a Florida farm operated by one of the nation’s largest egg producers.
The Pasco County fire department reports that three barns each containing up to 80,000 chickens caught fire early Thursday at the plant operated by Mississippi-based Cal-Maine.
It was reported about 1 a.m.
The company says on its website that it is the largest producer and distributor of shell eggs in the United States.
It sells under brands including Egg-Land’s Best and Land O’ Lakes. The farm is about 40 miles north of Tampa and is one of many Cal-Maine operates.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
