Hundreds of thousands of chickens to be culled after Covid disruption

About half of staff at poultry plant in Norfolk have had to self-isolate after 75 tested positive for coronavirus

At least 400,000 chickens are being culled in the UK as Covid-19 infections disrupt slaughterhouse routines. About 300,000 birds are due to be culled in England and 110,000 have been culled in Scotland.

Chickens that cannot be slaughtered for food are usually gassed with CO2 and their bodies rendered for fat and other animal byproducts. They do not enter the food chain.