The bird-flu epidemic that claimed 48.1 million domesticated fowl on U.S. poultry farms “illustrates the scale of chicken farming in the United States,” says the Guardian, asking if factory farming is viable. When the virus strikes, an entire flock is culled, meaning tens of thousands or even millions of birds are destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading. The Guardian quotes author Michael Davis as saying that when bird flu penetrates a farm, despite steps to isolate flocks from outside factors, the fowl, housed in massive barns, “are subject to wildfire-like outbreaks.”
“On top of that, the genetic makeup of birds found in factory farms is often less diverse than those raised in backyard flocks,” says the Guardian. The poultry industry wants broiler chickens and turkeys that gain weight quickly or, in the case of laying hens, produce eggs quickly. “The science indicates that a bird’s immunity goes down,” said Suzanne McMillan, senior director of the farm and animal welfare campaign at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She said intensive confinement, common in the poultry industry, is “an unnatural, unsustainable situation.”
The USDA plans to meet state veterinarians and poultry industry groups on July 28 and 29 to strengthen biosecurity standards ahead of a potential new wave of disease during the fall migration. Experts say migratory birds introduced avian influenza through droppings this spring. “Our investigation shows that the virus has been introduced into commercial poultry facilities from the environment (i.e., water, soil, animal feces, air) or from farm-to-farm transmission on human sources such as boots or equipment,” said USDA chief veterinarian John Clifford.
Egg prices, driven up by the loss of 10 percent of egg-laying hens to bird flu, appear to be stabilizing. The average nationally advertised price for a dozen Large white eggs Grade A or better is $2.03 in supermarkets, down by 8 cents from a week ago, says a USDA weekly report. “Shoppers will have to really search for deals as the number of ‘no price’ specials offered are virtually nonexistent.” The four-week average price is $2.04 a dozen. A year ago, the national averge price was $1.53 and headed downward.