The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed thousands of dead starlings in Somerset County were killed to keep the birds? population in check.

The targeted poisoning was orchestrated to prevent the birds from spreading livestock disease, according to USDA officials.

Franklin Township residents say their neighborhood looks as if it had been hit by a plague. Officials and residents were caught totally off guard by the birds dropping dead.

?If [the USDA] had given us adequate notification and told us when this was going to happen, what the aftermath might be ? we could have notified people and mobilized to pick up birds,? says Franklin Township Manager Kenneth Daly.

Residents are advised to use gloves when handling the dead birds, but officials want everyone to know the chemical used does not pose any danger.

Hundreds of dead birds found in Somerset County

DeadBird story:New Jersey Office of the U.S.Department of Agriculture927 North Main Street Heritage Square, Building D Pleasantville, NJ 08232 (609)646-9310 NewJersey Division of Fish and WildlifeNorthern Region Office Wildlife Control Unit 26 Route 173 West Hampton, NJ 08827 (908)735-8793