In São Miguel do Iguaçu, Brazil, a power outage led to the tragic deaths of 20,000 chickens, resulting in an estimated loss of R$ 150,000 for local poultry producers. The incident occurred on a Tuesday when the inhalation system of the chicken coop failed due to a power supply interruption, which took place just 18 days before the scheduled harvest of the birds, who were at 26 days old. The family-operated property has three chicken houses, each with a capacity to hold 20,000 birds, indicating the scale of the loss due to this incident.

The producers reported that they experienced a power situation described as 'half-phase,' which meant that the voltage supplied was insufficient for their needs. Following the outage, the local power company, Companhia Paranaense de Energia (Copel), was contacted, and a team found a broken cable that was likely the source of the electrical failure. Unfortunately, during the repair efforts, the property's generator was unable to handle the fluctuations and ultimately shut down, exacerbating the situation and leading to the deaths of the chickens due to lack of ventilation.

This incident not only poses an immediate financial setback for the producers but also raises concerns about the reliability of power supply in rural areas of Brazil. The impact of such outages can ripple through local economies, affecting food supply chains and animal agriculture. As the family deals with the consequences, it highlights the vulnerabilities that rural agricultural producers face regarding infrastructure and power distribution, particularly in critical periods of livestock management and production.