The largest egg producer in the United States announced it is halting production at its Texas plant and culling the flock of nearly two million chickens.
Cal-Maine Foods announced it would halt production at its Parmer County, Texas facility after it detected bird flu at the plant.
The company destroyed 1.6 million egg-laying hens and 337,000 pullets (female chickens not yet mature enough to lay eggs) at the plant.
According to the Cal-Maine website, the Texas plant is one of 42 egg-producing locations owned by the company.
The eggs produced at the Cal-Maine plant are marketed in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
Cal-Maine Foods said in a statement:
“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.”
“Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers,” the statement added.
The company also noted there is no recall of previously shipped products, and no bird flu had been detected in those shipments, The Western Journal reported.
The H5N1 HPAI bird flu has been affecting U.S. poultry since 2022. Outbreaks cause the cost of eggs to soar, while inflation also drives up prices.
Bird flu is also affecting other animals, such as goats, marking the first time in the U.S. that the avian influenza has crossed into domestic livestock.
Minnesota State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs attempted to downplay the specific findings.
“Our colleagues at the national level are telling us that this is likely a limited incident,” Hoefs told MPR.
“But the message is biosecurity, biosecurity, biosecurity. We want to make sure that we are preventing any similar exposures.”
The animal was found on a farm in western Stevens County, Minnesota, close to a poultry flock that tested positive for the Avian Influenza,
Bird flu has also been detected in other animals such as skunks, dogs, and cats.
READ: Biden Made ‘Odd’ Prediction Weeks Before ‘Mysterious’ Food Processing Plant Fires Began
