Heavy snow and sleet lead to widespread poultry barn failures in Arkansas
While there is no single national total yet, because assessments are still in progress, roads are blocked, several poultry barns collapsed over the weekend and more structures continue to fail, because of the winter storm over the weekend (January 31 and February 1).
However, from confirmed reports, Farms.com believes over 100 structures collapsed, with at least 70 of those in Arkansas, and the remaining in Virginia.
The winter storm brought heavy snowfall and sleet across much of Arkansas, with some areas reporting up to 12 inches of snow followed by nearly 2 inches of sleet. This combination created extremely heavy loads on farm buildings, especially poultry houses and older barns.
“The grower said these were older structures and birds were being relocated to other houses on his farm,” said Kimberly Rowe, Hempstead County agriculture agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “Regionally, the count for downed poultry houses, primarily broiler houses, is estimated to be in the 30s and continuing to rise.
County extension agents reported dozens of collapsed poultry houses in multiple counties. Many of the affected buildings were older structures that were no longer insured for collapse of damage. In several cases, birds were moved to other facilities before or after the buildings failed.
Poultry producers have been the most affected, but other agricultural operations also experienced losses. Reports included collapsed barns used for hay and equipment storage, leaving some livestock producers without immediate access to feed or machinery. Farmers in some areas relied on neighbors to help feed animals.
“A lot of those farmers are just stuck,” said Bobby Powell, Yell County extension staff chair. “They’re not going to get any insurance money for those — it’s going to be tough. Many producers will have to rebuild and go into major debt to keep their farms going.
Other agricultural impacts are still being evaluated. Damage to specialty crops such as strawberries remains uncertain due to ice-covered row covers. Beekeepers are waiting for warmer conditions to assess hive losses. High tunnels largely survived, though at least one was reported as a total loss.
Extension staff noted that while snowfall amounts alone may have been manageable, the additional sleet significantly increased roof weight. As cleanup and recovery continue, many farmers face difficult rebuilding decisions and potential long-term financial strain.
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