Taxpayers may have to quack up $1M for slaughtering 100K ducks at Long Island farm in virus scare: documents
Taxpayers may find themselves footing the bill for a recent duck massacre at a Long Island duck farm. Crescent Duck Farm, a major supplier of duck meat in the nation, euthanized 100,000 of its flocks over fears of bird flu, leading to a request for $1 million in federal funding. The farm has already received $150,000 from the USDA and is seeking additional financial assistance for the mass culling.
The euthanasia process involved using carbon dioxide foam followed by snapping the necks of surviving birds with a handheld device. Animal activists have criticized the method, describing it as a scene from a horror movie. Ben Williamson, the executive director of Animal Outlook, expressed concern over the inhumane treatment of the ducks during the culling process.
Crescent Duck Farm owner, Doug Corwin, stated that the USDA ultimately decided on the killing method and that the farm had no control over the process. The farm estimated that it was owed over $800,000 from the government to cover expenses related to sanitization, disposal, and replacement of losses incurred during the culling.
Despite the controversy surrounding the duck massacre, the farm has already hatched over 3,700 new ducklings at an off-site location. The ducks will be allowed to return to the North Fork once the barns are confirmed to be free of any avian flu DNA. Corwin remains hopeful that the ducks will be able to return home once it is deemed safe to do so.
While some activists have proposed transitioning the farm to crop production as a more humane and sustainable alternative, Corwin remains committed to duck farming. He expressed the challenges of rebuilding the farm after the culling but emphasized his dedication to agriculture.
The recent events at Crescent Duck Farm have raised ethical and financial concerns, with taxpayers potentially bearing the cost of the mass culling. The farm’s future remains uncertain as stakeholders navigate the aftermath of the bird flu outbreak and the decision to euthanize thousands of ducks.
