A FARMER starved 6,000 chickens to death and claimed that the birds died from a faulty bird flu vaccine in order to get compensation from the government in Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

Police are investigating the farmer, identified as Li, in Xinhui District.

The farmer bought 7,000 chickens from Oct. 16 to 23. On Nov. 17, he took 12 bottles of bird flu vaccine free of charge from the government and injected the vaccine to the chickens.

On Monday, 10 days after the chickens were vaccinated, the farmer told reporters there was a bird flu outbreak at his farm, and that his chickens were dying after being injected with the vaccine.

But veterinarians found that the chickens died of malnutrition and parasites. No bird flu virus was found in the dead chickens.

Li later told police some of his chickens died before they were vaccinated. Li said he made up the bird flu story to get compensation from the government to pay for his suppliers.

Editor: Wing