Over 4 Million Chickens Killed On Iowa Farm Because Of Bird Flu

Bird Flu has been devastating chicken farmers in Iowa and Minnesota. The latest hit is over 4 million chickens having to be killed at one Iowa farm.

Highly contagious and deadly Avian Influenza has been detected in a flock of 4.2 million egg-laying chickens.

The commercial laying flock is located in Sioux County in Northwestern Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says this is the “first confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial or backyard poultry flock this year in Iowa.”

The avian influenza outbreak has persisted since early 2022, primarily spread by migratory birds capable of transmitting the virus asymptomatically.

Over the past month, both Minnesota and Iowa have reported infected poultry flocks, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The affected Minnesota operations include four commercial turkey facilities and one commercial egg-laying operation, culminating in approximately 1.5 million impacted birds.

While Minnesota has endured more than triple the number of infected flocks compared to Iowa since the outbreak's inception, Iowa's substantial egg-producing industry has resulted in nearly three times the total number of affected birds.

Iowa holds the distinction of being the nation's premier egg-producing state.

Iowa has seen the culling of over 23 million birds across 52 flocks since early 2022.

During the previous avian influenza outbreak that impacted U.S. farms in early 2022, egg prices experienced a dramatic surge, more than doubling over the course of the year.

This price escalation reached its zenith in January 2023, when the average cost for a dozen eggs peaked at an astonishing $4.82.