The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.
Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. said in a statement on Tuesday that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer County, Texas.
The plant is on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle about 85 miles southwest of Amarillo and about 370 miles northwest of Dallas. Cal-Maine said it sells most of its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.
“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,” the statement said.
The company said there is no known bird flu risk associated with eggs currently in the market and no eggs have been recalled.
“Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers,” the statement said.
