An outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza has prompted the culling of laying hens on the largest egg farm in the United States.
The farm in the Texas panhandle near New Mexico is owned by Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. of Mississippi.
It has 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets; about 3.6 per cent of the flock was infected and has already been euthanized.
"The Company continues to work closely with federal, state and local government officials and focused industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and effectively manage the response," according to the statement.
"Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers." The farm has been shut down.
The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs that are currently on the market and no eggs have been recalled.
Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Texas agriculture commissioner Sid Miller said on CNN that the farm accounts for about four per cent of U.S. production and said he expects there will be no impact on retail egg prices.
The same day the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (MDARD) announced the confirmation of the first case of HPAI in Ionia County and the fourth case at a commercial poultry operation in Michigan since 2022.
The agency did not identify the specific poultry farm or how many birds were affected, but it warned owners and poultry farmers to protect their flocks from wild birds that may spread HPAI during the spring migration.
