Cal-Maine Foods Halts Production in Texas and Michigan After Bird Flu Outbreak

The U.S. poultry industry has been hit by an avian influenza outbreak, leading to significant production disruptions in Texas and Michigan.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S., has announced a temporary halt in production at its plant in Parmer County, Texas, following the discovery of avian influenza in chickens. The company reported that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, accounting for about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed as a result of the infection.

The affected plant, located on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle, is situated about 85 miles southwest of Amarillo and approximately 370 miles northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine Foods assured that it is collaborating closely with federal, state and local government officials as well as industry groups to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks and manage the response effectively.

The company also stated that it is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruptions to its customers.

Michigan Facility Affected

In a separate development, bird flu was detected in a commercial poultry facility in Ionia County, Michigan. Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the outbreak, marking the fourth instance of the disease being detected at a commercial facility in the state since 2022.

While the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development did not disclose the type of poultry at the affected facility, it assured that the facility has been placed under quarantine, with no anticipated disruptions to supply chains across the state.

Public Health and Safety

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has affirmed that eggs currently available in the market pose no bird flu risk and no eggs have been recalled. Properly handled and cooked eggs remain safe for consumption.

In the wake of these outbreaks, state health officials have stated that the risk to the public remains low. However, it was reported that a person in Texas had been diagnosed with bird flu after contact with infected cows, marking the first known case globally of a person contracting this strain of bird flu from a mammal.

The federal health officials also confirmed infections in a Michigan dairy herd that had recently received cows from Texas.

Cal-Maine Foods primarily distributes its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.