Wisconsin Court Rules Pure Prairie Poultry Liable for Mistreatment of Chickens

A Wisconsin court has ruled Pure Prairie Poultry (PPP) mistreated its chickens in the days leading up to the plant’s closure in Charles City in October 2024.

Animal Partisan and the Humane Farming Association announced Tuesday (03.03) that the Buffalo County Circuit Court in Wisconsin found PPP liable for 30 counts of mistreatment of animals. The judgment comes in response to a criminal complaint the organizations jointly filed in June 2025 seeking to hold PPP criminally liable under Wisconsin law for abandoning thousands of chickens to starve following the company’s sudden attempted bankruptcy. 

The complaint requested prosecution of PPP under Wisconsin statutes prohibiting depriving animals of food and animal abandonment. The groups looked to hold PPP accountable for its actions and to highlight the harm caused by industrial animal agriculture to both animals and contract farmers.

The Buffalo County District Attorney then filed 30 citations against PPP alleging they were liable for 30 separate Class C forfeitures of “Mistreatment of Animals.” Each count carried a potential monetary penalty of $500 plus costs. After PPP failed to appear and answer for the charges, the Circuit Court entered a judgment finding the company liable for all charges and imposing a penalty of $13,575.

Will Lowrey, Legal Counsel for Animal Partisan, said. “Pure Prairie abandoned thousands of birds to starve and left hardworking local farmers to deal with the problem it created. The court’s decision should send a message that these corporations are not above the law.” 

The complaint was based largely on the firsthand experience of a pair of Wisconsin farmers left to care for over 20,000 chickens owned by PPP after the company failed repeatedly to deliver feed for the animals. However, PPP’s abandonment and starvation of chickens impacted 11 Wisconsin flocks in all totaling almost 500,000 birds and forced the euthanasia of 1.3 million chickens in Iowa. 

PPP’s failure came despite USDA loans of almost $39 million to remodel, upgrade and expand the facilities in Charles City, abandoning over 2 million chickens and 50 farmers across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.