Dead chickens dumped in Etowah County

Etowah County authorities say About 300 dead chickens were illegally dumped in the Ball Play area in Etowah County and they been removed, their burial approved by the Alabama Department of Agriculture.  Etowah County EMA Director Mike Bryant, said the Etowah County Road Department was instrumental in the cleanup.  He said the chickens were discovered by someone who was riding in the area near Kershaw Quarters Road, off Croft Ferry Road, and it was reported to EMA. He said the area is an abandoned road that used to be a county road, but is no longer used.  The chickens appeared to have been there several days. They were decomposing and swollen, but did not appear to have any disease. Bryant said they appeared to be full-grown chickens from a poultry farm.  Bryant said the chickens were dumped in an area that was hard to get to, and he contacted the Department of Agriculture to find out about disposal.  In a call to Three Corners Landfill, just inside Cherokee County near Piedmont, it was determined that someone had inquired there about disposing about 300 chickens. But that no one ever showed up.