America consumes more chicken than any other country, driving a massive demand for poultry production. There are around 25,000 family farms involved in poultry production, and as demand for poultry products continues to rise, so does the need for poultry farms. It is becoming increasingly common for large companies to offer multi-million dollar contracts to farmers to raise chickens. In this arrangement, the company will provide the animals and feed, and the farmer will house and care for the birds. This arrangement ends up demanding a sizeable upfront investment on the farmer’s end, as he must develop the infrastructure of his farm and build large barns for the chickens.

While the payoff of raising chickens can be great, many farmers who enter these contracts are forced to take out enormous loans from the bank, often valued at millions of dollars. This is a big gamble for families to take, especially since these contracts can be risky in some areas of the country. Some contracts are for one flock at a time, so there is no guarantee of a long-term income. And as with any livestock, there is the risk of losing a flock to disease or stunted growth.