<
https://web.archive.org/web/20250127172108/https://www.kpax.com/news/national-news/u-s-egg-industry-sees-record-chicken-deaths-from-bird-flu-outbreak>
'More than 20 million egg-laying chickens in the U.S. died last quarter because
of bird flu, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows, marking the
worst toll inflicted on America's egg supply since the outbreak began.
The record number of chicken deaths, which includes those birds culled when
infection is discovered in a flock, come as figures show egg prices have soared
to the highest they have been in years, driven in large part by the virus.
"Unlike in past years, in 2024, all major production systems experienced
significant losses including conventional caged, cage-free, and certified
organic types," a USDA report said this month.
Taxpayers will pick up the tab for the lost birds. To incentivize farmers to
quickly report and stomp out the virus, a USDA program pays producers for the
eggs and poultry they cull.
Last year, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it had spent
$1.25 billion on payments to farmers since the outbreak started in 2022.'
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
