5.3 million laying hens to be destroyed as bird flu reported at fourth Iowa facility

[Eugene]

Source: Des Moines Register

5.3 million laying hens to be destroyed as bird flu reported at fourth Iowa facility

Donnelle Eller
Des Moines Register

Published 5:30 p.m. CT March 18, 2022

Bird flu has been detected in a Buena Vista County egg-laying facility with 5.3 million hens, the second outbreak in the northwest Iowa county this month, the Iowa Department of Agriculture said Friday.

It's the state's fourth outbreak of the deadly virus since March 1.

The hens are being destroyed, said Chloe Carson, an Iowa Department of Agriculture spokeswoman. Altogether, roughly 6.3 million birds have been killed in Iowa to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza was first detected almost 30 years ago in China. A 2015 outbreak led to the destruction of 32.7 million laying hens, turkeys and other birds in Iowa. That was about two-thirds of the 50.5 million that were destroyed nationally in what is considered the worst foreign animal disease outbreak on record.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/2022/03/18/bird-flu-avian-symptoms-2022-chickens-hens-destroyed-iowa-facility/7096301001/

[elleng]

1. ;-(

[SunSeeker]

2. Wow, that's a lot of dead chickens. I imagine the price of chicken will shoot up.

[Lochloosa]

12. Eggs.

[albacore]

3. About 400 million laying hens in the US on any given day...

..so it shouldn't impact egg prices.

But if it does... it's Biden's fault.

Glad we have agencies that are designed to stop this kind of thing.

And the Repubs love their "small government"...

[Ohio Joe]

14. Exactly...

It’s unfortunate but it has to be done and it would be far, far worse if we did not have agencies looking out for this kind of thing.

[mucifer]

4. when people eat them they die, too

[dweller]

5. And you thought

Chicken wings were expensive already ?
🤨


✌🏻

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Hopefully, destroyed is incinerated, else three weeks later watch it'll be in some cat & dog food.

[captain queeg]

7. Waiting for some freedumbers to start screaming about this.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

8. I'll Bet You A Shiny New Dime That Deregulation Has Something To Do With This

[Eugene]

10. More likely the product of high vigilence.

The current strain is highly pathogenic, and it can spread from birds to humans. It is believed to come from migrating birds.

So far, the grand total of domesticated birds euthanized or to be euthanized is 12.8 million.

https://abc7chicago.com/bird-flu-in-iowa-2022-avian-influenza-outbreak/11664103/

[Chainfire]

9. I quit buying beef because of the price.

I guess the price of Chicken will be going through the roof too.

[jimfields33]

15. Fruits have gone through the roof too.

Apples and grapes specifically. I can’t believe how high they are.

[NickB79]

11. 2.75 million last week in Wisconsin

My flock is pissed they can't free roam my property right now. Too dangerous with migrating waterfowl around.

[Talitha]

13. Time for us to make the switch...

To one of those other meats people say "tastes like Chicken".