Fowl play: the chicken farmers being bullied by big poultry

More than 97% of US chicken farmers work with a big producer, but many say they're being treated unfairly - and rules to help protect them are now in limbo

Back in 2001, Alton Terry, his wife and two young children were living in San Jose, California, but they dreamed of a quieter, more rural life. Terry's grandparents had been farmers, and that inspired him to move his family to Shelbyville, Tennessee, to start a chicken farm.

Like the majority of chicken farmers in the US, Terry entered into an exclusive contract with a big producer, Tyson Foods. "The first couple of years we didn't have any problems," said Terry, "but then Tyson started asking us to put in extra equipment that we had to pay for."