The largest producer and distributor of eggs in the US has had to cull over 1.5m birds due to an outbreak of bird flu.

Cal-Maine Foods, which sells over one billion eggs each year, experienced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a facility in Texas.

Confirmation of the disease resulted in the depopulation of approximately 1.6m laying hens and 337,000 pullets or approximately 3.6% of the company’s total flock.

This resulted in a temporary suspension in operations there.

Outbreak

An outbreak earlier in the year in Kansas resulted in the depopulation of approximately 1.5m laying hens and 240,000 pullets.

From November 2023 through January of 2024, approximately 15.7m commercial layer hens and pullets have been depopulated as a result of HPAI outbreaks in the US.