Bird flu returns to Palmyra farm; neighbors brace for chickens to be composted

MILWAUKEE - A looming crisis is unfolding in Palmyra, where three million chickens are slated for mass disposal after bird flu struck the same egg farm for the second time in three years.

What we know:

Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection confirmed a bird flu outbreak at Cold Spring Egg Farm, now owned by Daybreak Foods. The farm also reported an outbreak in 2022.

The dead birds will be composted in the same disposal site used in 2022. 

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Palmyra Town Chairman Frank Sauter told FOX6 News he expects the composting process to begin as early as Friday, or early next week at the latest.

What they're saying:

Nearby resident Lisa Eddy said she fears the effects once composting begins.

"I’m bracing for the smell," Eddy said. "Imagine having rotten meat just sitting in your kitchen in your garbage … you’re like whew, I better take that out. Well, we’re going to walk outside into it. It gets in our home, it gets in our car, in our clothes."

While the community waits for word on when the disposal will begin, residents have reported seeing dump trucks traveling down closed roads near the site.

Jane Mortensen, another neighbor, said she worries the impact could extend far beyond the immediate area.

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"Domino effect includes all of the suppliers to this business," Mortensen said. "The DNR needs to pony up, play right in the sandbox with their taxpayers and allow the animals to be decomposed in other areas besides a residential area."