The plant currently produces smaller chickens for fast-food restaurants as well as larger birds for retail. Tyson plans to shift the production of the smaller chickens to another plant to improve the efficiency of operations at the facility.

Temporary layoffs will begin in January and should end in the first week of May, when Tyson expects that all of the equipment changes necessary to process only larger birds at the facility will be completed.

Once the facility is fully operational again, it will produce the same volume of birds in pounds.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.