The inventory of hens laying eggs for table consumption dropped by 5 percent in June, says the monthly Chicken and Eggs report. It was the second month in a row that the total plunged and a sign of the swift spread of the avian influenza epidemic. The USDA tallied 269.9 million hens laying table eggs in June, compared to 283.1 million in May and 304.1 million in March when bird flu reached major egg-producing states.
Overall, the number of egg-laying hens is down by 12 percent since March. Compared to a year ago, the number is down by 11 percent. The last confirmed case of avian influenza was June 17, according to the USDA, so hen totals should stabilize and begin to recover in coming months.
In Iowa, the state hit hardest by bird flu, the poultry industry “faces a long road back to full egg and turkey production,” reports DTN. “Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey said chances are some egg-laying and turkey farms likely will not return to production.”