In a distressing turn of events, California’s renowned ‘Egg Basket’ is grappling with the devastating impact of avian flu outbreaks, hitting poultry farms and disrupting the egg industry. Last month, Sunrise Farms, a prominent poultry company, was forced to cull its entire flock of 550,000 egg-laying hens in Sonoma County after testing positive for avian flu.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza has surged in California, particularly in Sonoma and Merced Counties, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency. Over the past two months, nearly a dozen commercial farms have culled over 1 million birds, causing significant economic setbacks for farmers, workers, and consumers.
The virus, spread by migratory birds like ducks and geese, poses a severe threat to poultry farms. California is implementing stringent biosecurity measures to contain the outbreak, urging farmers to keep their flocks indoors until June. The California Poultry Federation emphasizes the need for vigilance to protect birds during the ongoing migration season.
The recent spike in egg prices in the San Francisco Bay Area during the holidays, attributed to the loss of local hens, underscores the immediate impact on the market. Supermarkets and restaurants sought suppliers from outside the region to meet demand.
While avian flu is not a new phenomenon, the current outbreak, beginning in early 2022, has led to the culling of nearly 82 million birds across 47 U.S. states. The poultry industry faced challenges, with egg prices doubling to $4.82 per dozen at the peak in January 2023. Turkey and chicken prices also surged, partly due to the virus.
Experts, like Maurice Pitesky from the University of California, Davis, see the avian flu as an existential threat to the commercial poultry industry globally. Climate change exacerbates the risk of outbreaks as altered weather patterns disrupt wild bird migratory routes, facilitating the spread of the virus.
California has witnessed outbreaks affecting over 7 million chickens in commercial and backyard flocks, primarily in the North Coast and Central Valley. Concerns rise about backyard chickens potentially spreading avian flu to commercial farms, emphasizing the importance of biosecurity measures.
Individuals with backyard flocks, like Ettamarie Peterson in Petaluma, express concerns about wild birds transmitting the virus. Despite implementing biosecurity measures, even farms like Sunrise Farms, with a century-old legacy, succumbed to the rapid and severe impact of avian flu.
As affected farms work towards recovery, hopes are pinned on federal approval to reintroduce chicks this spring. However, the journey to restoring normalcy in the industry will be challenging.
Mike Weber, representing Sunrise Farms, reflects on the hardship ahead, stating, “We have a long road ahead. We’re going to make another run of it and try to keep this family of employees together because they’ve worked so hard to build this into the company that it is.”
