Also, for those who think that it's not too commonplace, this is a brief history of Buckeye Egg Farm which I lived 5 miles from growing up & now live 12 miles from. Not sure who bought it or if it's still operating. No one ever got in to make an undercover video.
A History of Buckeye Egg Farm
1980 - Anton Pohlmann, the owner of Buckeye Egg Farm, arrives in Croton, Ohio and purchases 2,200 acres of farmland in Licking County to build an egg producing facility. At the same time, Pohlmann is operating large hatcheries in Germany, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.
1983 - A manure spill in Otter Fork Creek kills 150,000 fish as the farm undergoes expansion.
1995 - The Croton facility is producing 65,000 cases of eggs each week. The Agrigeneral operation proposes a new expansion into Hardin County. Residents near the proposed site in La Rue voice their opposition with the EPA. In order to pacify growing pollution concerns from the EPA, Pohlmann installs ground level exhaust fans into all the layer houses. By this time, the pollution factor is apparent. Groundwater contamination, erosion, and environmental damage is noted across Ohio and linked directly to Buckeye Egg.
Anton Pohlmann (know as the "Chicken Baron" in Germany) has been hauled into court over the salmonella outbreak at the facility in Germany. He is accused of inhumanely dealing with the Court ordered extermination of the infected flock by shutting off their food, water, and air conditioning.
1996 - In Germany, Pohlmann is charged with cruelty to animals after he is caught spraying chickens with caffeine and nicotine and feeding them a highly lethal and illegal disinfectant. He is banned from ever owning animals or operating in Germany again.
Despite his conviction is Germany, Pohlmann's operation in Ohio, now known as Buckeye Egg Farm, continues to grow.
1997 - Darkling beetles are introduced into the layer houses to help dry out manure. Neighboring towns become infested and "Terminex" (exterminator) becomes a regular visitor to both the egg facility and the residents' homes.
1999 - Manure lagoons rupture and cause a fifteen-mile fish kill in Raccoon Creek. OEPA mandates a clean up at Buckeye Egg Farm. When there is failure to comply, Ohio files a 27-count lawsuit against Buckeye Egg Farm for violations of environmental laws and threatens to seize assets of Pohlmann.
2000 - Tornado strikes the facility in Croton, damaging twelve houses -each housing approximately 150,000 hens. The tornado left over 1,000,000 hens trapped in their mangled cages without access to food or water. Many of the hens died from starvation, gassing, being crushed by bulldozers, or suffocation when thousands of hens were dumped into huge trash bins while still alive.
2001 - Licking County Common Pleas Court awards more than $19 million in damages to 21 residents living near Buckeye Egg Farm. For years the neighbors have lived with noxious odors, water pollution, billions of flies and other problems resulting from the 7.5 million birds kept between Johnstown and Hartford.
The poor animals, and to know that we humans treat them like this! We as HUMANS should be ashamed of ourselves! My mom told me about this many years ago when I was a kid, and how disturbing it was! She was in horror about it as well! It just goes to show you how inhumane these egg factories really are, and its everywhere. I agree, EVERYONE should see that video, then maybe they'd have a change of heart.
