Chicken farms and their smell (Lewes, Millsboro: 2014, homes, camp)

[doctorjef]

Mod cut - Please note that this thread was started in 2014OK, here's a question for you Sussex folks. I was recently in an unfortunate discussion on facebook (a friend of a friend) who contended that his parents live in Lewes or at least have a Lewes zip code, and maintained that there are chicken farms in close enough proximity that the stench wafts into Lewes. I have reason to think he was making this up, as (1) I have never detected any unpleasant aromas around Lewes, Milton, or Rehoboth; (2) he was generally ragging on Delware and some of his statements weren't credible.

I had always thought that the chicken operations were in far south/southwest Sussex. Where exactly are these chicken farms and in what areas is their airborne fragrance problematic? Any possible truth to the assertion that you can smell chicken farm aromas around the Lewes ?

[Chickahominy]

I live in a Lewes zip code off of Camp Arrowhead rd. and I don't smell the chicken plants. I know there is a Mountaire chicken plant on Rte. 24 near Millsboro . I drove by them today and didn't smell anything. I rode past last week and could smell something but only while in front of the place.

[ictulips]

We too live in a Lewes zip code off of Camp Arrowhead rd. We have never smelled the chicken plants. The Mountaire plant is the only one that I am aware of too. There is a dairy on rt404 that can smell rich but the fresh ice cream makes up for it! I can't imagine being able to smell it in Lewes proper, though.

[longnecker]

The plant on 24 really used to stink. They have done a lot of work and driving past now you would not notice any odor.I do not know of any chicken farms in the Lewes zip code. Most of the time even if you were in an area with a chicken farm you would not notice it unless they had just gotten rid of a flock and were cleaning the manure out and/or spreading it on the fields. Those coming into the area should think about this first. The farmers and processors were here first.

[ictulips]

Originally Posted by longnecker

...Those coming into the area should think about this first. The farmers and processors were here first.

I totally agree.

[DelawareLiz]

There is a small chicken farm located by the Millville Town Hall, which is about a mile or so from my house. I can smell it if the wind blows just right on a a hot summer day--nothing horrible, but it was here before we were. There are homes RIGHT next to it and I could never deal with that personally (not just because of the stench but also the health risks), but we're far enough away that I don't pay much mind to it. It's pretty rank when we ride our bikes by it though.

[CaioNY]

What they are smelling is the god-awful chicken manure that local farms are using to fertilize. Its disgusting!!!!

[nuts2uiam]

Drove by the Mountainair plant this afternoon and while it was not awful it was not pleasant. On the way back stopped at Dairy Queen got a cone, frozen roof of mouth blocks the sense of smell!!!! It should be noted that I only smelled it when the plant was within sight.

[rdlr]

I LOVE this topic!!!
Everybody pass the word:

Sussex County remains the No. 1 broiler chicken-producing county in the nation, a position that dates back to the 1940s, and Delaware retained its spot as the state with the largest amount of lima bean acres harvested, according to 2012 Census of Agriculture data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

http://news.delaware.gov/2014/05/02/...-census-shows/

[Pocopsonite]

Years ago, just about this time of year, the smell of dead horseshoe crabs was pretty pungent, at least on Rehoboth Bay in Dewey. I think there might have been a similar problem on the Delaware Bay shores of Lewes.

That hasn't been a problem in years because, sadly, the horseshoe crab population has declined so much. But maybe the FoF is re-telling old and outdated tales?