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Two million Delmarva chickens euthanized as virus hobbles processing

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April 24, 2020 at 6:48 p.m. EDT
Chickens walk under water pipes equipped with drip nipples at Perdue Farms in Princess Anne, Md., in 1997. (Scott Applewhite/AP)

A large chicken processing company was forced to kill 2 million of its chickens earlier this month because of coronavirus-related workforce shortages, according to the Delmarva Poultry Industry.

The Georgetown, Del., trade organization said the company, which it did not name, took the step as a last resort because of reduced employee attendance amid caution over the virus.