MASON CITY – As many as 98,000 delicious chickens will be raised on a new confinement just north of Mason City.
The owner of the confinement is Wharam Creek Poultry, LLC, according to officials at the Cerro Gordo county courthouse. They have filed a new manure management plan (MMP) with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the county for an animal confinement (sometimes known as a “CAFO”) that would house 98,000 chickens.
The state’s “master matrix” formulation that guides the legalities of animal confinements does not come into play with this new confinement, NIT is told, because the matrix only applies to confinements of 1,000 “head” or more.
“The way it is calculated, the confinement comes in at 980 animal units, which does not trigger a master matrix review,” a county official told NIT. “98,000 total chickens is the correct number, as stated in construction design statement. This variety of chicken has a .01 factor according to the table they used.”
This confinement will be located approximately 2 miles north of Mason City city limits on 310th Street, just west of US Highway 65 (NE1/4 of NE1/4 of Section 17, Lime Creek Township). According to the manure management plan that was submitted by Wharam Creek Poultry, LLC, the manure will be spread on the fields in proximity to the confinement site, approximately 303.8 acres.
“They are for slaughter,” the county official said.
Nearby landowners tell NIT that the confinement will actually be closer to 320th Street (slightly further north).