Pump, not vandals, causes farm problem

TURNER – A water problem at the former DeCoster Egg Farm appears to have been caused by a faulty pump, not sabotage as a company official previously thought.

An egg farm manager said water lines in a chicken barn had been damaged intentionally during the past week to make it more susceptible to fly infestation. Wet manure increases the odor and draws more flies.

Maine Contract Farming compliance manager Bob Leclerc said state police were called to investigate. He said vandals knew the farms were being sued by neighbors complaining of flies and the odor of manure.

But on Monday, Tony Wasmund of Quality Egg, another of DeCoster’s operations, said a faulty regulator on a pump kept sending water through the lines.