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Fried-Chicken Craze Is Causing U.S. to Run Low on Poultry

  • Companies say that chicken supplies are lower than normal
  • Poultry producers report a shortage of workers for plants
A fried chicken sandwich from Popeyes.

A fried chicken sandwich from Popeyes.

Photographer: David Williams/Redux

The popularity of chicken -- from sandwiches and tenders to nuggets and wings -- is fueling such demand for fried poultry that America is starting to run short.

KFC says it’s struggling to keep up with soaring demand for its new sandwich, while North Carolina-based chicken-and biscuits-chain Bojangles reported outages of tenders across its 750 locations.