Poultry Houses Collapsing Locally, Across State

  • Many of the poultry houses in Cleveland County experienced partial collapses like this one in the Staves area. Poultry houses at Pansy and Calmer were also observed to have partial collapses.
    Many of the poultry houses in Cleveland County experienced partial collapses like this one in the Staves area. Poultry houses at Pansy and Calmer were also observed to have partial collapses.

    With as much as 12 inches of snow and up to 3 inches of sleet reported in areas across Arkansas, the winter storm that covered much of the country over last weekend has taken an especially high toll on poultry houses and other farm structures across the state, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

    David West with the Cleveland County Extension Office said he had no official count, but heard unconfirmed reports of possibly multiple suffering damage. There were poultry houses along Hwy. 63 near Pansy and Calmer that appeared to be partially collapsed while there was also damage to a farm in the Staves community.

    Although it will likely be some time before the extent of damaged poultry houses and impacted flocks is known, multiple county agents across the state with the Cooperative Extension Service have reported dozens of collapsed structures in their respective counties.