Allen Harim Foods of Harbeson, Deleware, told its farmer-suppliers that it will be asking them to cull chickens because it lacks staff to keep processing at capacity.
The plant which employs about 1,000 workers said about half have been missing due to COVID-19.
It said it might have to cull as many as a million birds.
The company specializes in chickens raised without antibiotics.
This is the second closure this year. In mid-February poultry inspectors closed it down for a couple of days due to sanitation issues.
