Intruder shut off barn ventilation fans, killing 10,000 chickens near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
RCMP investigators confirmed someone deliberately disabled the poultry barn's cooling system last Friday, causing temperatures to reach 37 C by Saturday morning.
Sources · local media reports
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Nova Scotia RCMP say the recent deaths of 10,000 chickens at a farm near Lunenburg were the result of a deliberate act to harm the birds.
RCMP Cpl. Mandy Edwards says investigators have confirmed someone broke into the poultry barn in Pine Grove last Friday night and switched off ventilation fans on the first floor of the barn. Without proper air circulation, temperatures on that floor started to rise. By Saturday morning, the temperature on the first floor of the two-storey barn reached 37 C, making it impossible for the chickens to survive.
Investigators later determined nothing had been stolen from the building and nothing was damaged, which has raised questions about what motivated the crime. Police are asking anyone with information about what happened to come forward.
Do police have any suspects or leads on who broke into the barn?
What is the financial loss to the farm owner from losing 10,000 chickens?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How many chickens died in the incident near Lunenburg?
10,000 chickens died at a farm near Lunenburg, Nova Scotia after someone deliberately shut off ventilation fans in the poultry barn.
What temperature did the barn reach by Saturday morning, July 26, 2026?
The first floor of the barn reached 37 C by Saturday morning, July 26, 2026, after ventilation fans were switched off the previous night.
