You may have noticed that the price of eggs have increased in the past couple of weeks. The main reason is due to a shortage of eggs coming from major egg producer states. The United States is home to roughly 280 million laying hens that produce around 75 billion eggs a year. Iowa is the largest egg producing state with over 58 million hens in production. According to the American Egg Board the 2014 per capita consumption of eggs in the United States has increased to 263 eggs. Of that 60 percent of the eggs produced are used by consumers, 9 percent used in the food service industry leaving 31 percent of the eggs being used in egg products like cake mixes and mayonnaise. The main reason for the increase in egg prices is due to a decline in laying hens that have contracted Avian Influenza.
Avian influenza (AI) is the bird flu. Just like humans there is a flu that affects birds. AI is a virus that naturally occurs in wild birds such as geese, ducks, shorebirds and can spread to domestic poultry like chickens and turkeys. Unlike humans wild birds cannot go to the doctor if they have the flu and from what I have been reading the last human flu shot was only 19 percent effective. AI is primarily spread through direct contact between healthy birds and infected birds. The virus is excreted through the feces of infected birds and is the most common cause of transmission. The issue is that our major egg producing states are on flyways for ducks and geese that migrate during certain times of the year which puts our hens in jeopardy.
The signs of illness of birds infected with AI typically have decreased food consumption, coughing and sneezing along with decreased egg production. However, there is no need to panic if you have a back yard flock. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed recommendations that may prevent a poultry disease outbreak.
1. Restrict access to your property and your birds.
2. Keep your clothes, shoes, equipment and hands clean.
3. If you have been near other birds or bird owners, clean and disinfect poultry cages and equipment before going home and follow number 2.
4. Don’t borrow tools and poultry supplies from other bird owners.
5. Know the warning signs such as sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, lack of energy, poor appetite and sudden increase in mortality.
6. Sick or dead domestic birds, including backyard flocks and commercial poultry, should be reported to the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health Section, (302) 698-4500 or (800) 282-8685.
7. To report groups of dead or sick waterfowl, shorebirds or gulls, contact the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Wildlife Section-Wildlife Disease Program at (302) 735-3600.
In summary proper biosecurity measures can prevent disease outbreaks. Isolating your birds from wild birds is key in the fight against AI. If you have any questions stop by the New Castle County Cooperative Extension Office located at 461 Wyoming Road in Newark, Delaware, or phone 302-831-2506 for more information. For comments or questions email me at severson@udel.edu or follow me on twitter @DanSeversonUD.