Bird flu outbreak kills nearly 1 million chickens on Minnesota farm

In addition to the Minnesota case, the USDA announced that approximately 26,800 turkeys will be slaughtered at a farm in McPherson County, South Dakota, and nearly 17,000 birds will be slaughtered at two farms in Clay County, Iowa.

The egg and poultry industry has been battling a bird flu outbreak since last year, with nearly 58 million birds, mostly chickens and turkeys, killed in 2022. This has led to significant increases in egg and turkey prices. 

Although losses in 2023 were lower than in 2022, efforts were redoubled to prevent contact between birds and wild migratory waterfowl. After culling 940,000 chickens on a Minnesota farm, the total number of birds culled this year will be approximately 3.4 million.

Minnesota has lost more than 5.5 million birds since the outbreak began, while Iowa, home to numerous large egg farms, has been hit the hardest, with more than 16 million birds killed. Most cases have been reported from turkey farms in the region. The virus spreads easily, primarily through contact with wild bird droppings.

Farmers have taken strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as requiring workers to change clothes, disinfect shoes and limit the sharing of tools between poultry houses, as well as sealing the premises to prevent entry of wild animals.