(Photo credit: Christine Doerksen)

Fire Sunday morning killed approximately 27,000 chickens southwest of Blumenort.

Hanover Fire Chief Paul Wiebe says the New Bothwell Fire Department received the call at 3:40 am, for a barn fire along Road 31E, which is straight north of Mitchell. Wiebe says crews arrived to find a chicken barn engulfed in flames.

The Kleefeld and Grunthal Fire Departments were quickly called in to assist. Firefighters from Blumenort were also called to the scene, along with Steinbach Fire Department's tanker. 

The barn contained approximately 50,000 layers and pullets. Wiebe says they were able to save half the barn and half the birds thanks to a fire wall.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner has been called in to determine a cause. Though a damage estimate has not been released, Wiebe says it is "significant."

There were no injuries.