BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Daviess County is a major agricultural hub for the state, raising millions of chickens every year, according to the 2022 Census Data of Agriculture.

Farmer Daniel Hayden works in and out on his chicken farm every day, and has been in the poultry business for 27 years.

Sometimes his son, Laramie, joins him to watch him put his passion into action.

Hayden said, “We love what we do, and we’re blessed every single day to be able to do it.”

According to Hayden, Daviess County raises about 11 million chickens per year.

But sometimes, that number is hard to put into context. So, Hayden calculated how many chicken sandwiches that would supply for Chick-fil-A. 

Hayden said, “When you put it into chicken sandwiches, like we know what that is. We don’t really know what poundages of chicken actually look like. But man, you know how long that line is at Chick-fil-A every day.”

According to his calculations, all Chick-fil-As across America would have enough chicken sandwiches for four months.

Hayden said, “You know, that’s a ‘godwad’ of chicken sandwiches that come out of those facilities.”

Hayden is a part of the process, making sure the chickens grow healthy and are well-hydrated and fed.

Hayden said, “I am out here, every single day, managing and maintaining the health and well-being of some of God’s creations. So I can help my fellow man thrive and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”

According to Hayden, his farm, Hayden Farms, raises 1.6 million chickens per year.

It’s honest, hard work, but for Hayden, it’s his blessing.

Hayden said, “You will find it very hard that a farmer is not passionate about what he does, to help their neighbor, and tend to the land that God has created.”