2 Sisters poultry sheds destroyed by fire

Two chicken sheds on a 2 Sisters farm in Essex have been destroyed by fire, though the cause of the blaze remains unknown.

A total of seven fire crews from five stations were called to Grass Reasons poultry farm at Layer Marney near Colchester on the morning of Monday 7 September, as the fire took hold of the two connected buildings.

See also: Free-range hen shed destroyed by ‘suspicious’ fire

“The site was on turnaround, so thankfully there were no birds on site,” said 2 Sisters general broiler manager Werner Strydom. “The site was due to be restocked this week, so we had to change the placement plan so the chicks are placed on different farms. Thankfully nobody was injured in the disaster.”

It is understood that Grass Reasons is an old farm which, when fully stocked, would hold 140,000 birds across 10 sheds.

The two sheds that burned down were the newest ones on site, with a capacity of 18,000 birds each. “We do not know at this stage how soon the sheds will be rebuilt,” said Mr Strydom.

The cause of the fire, which was extinguished within three hours, is being investigated.