Chickens Slaughtered in Georgia to Thwart Bird Flu’s Spread

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Chickens Slaughtered in Georgia to Thwart Bird Flu’s Spread

Egg prices soar as chicken flocks killed for precautionary measures due to influential poultry industry in Georgia.

The recent spread of avian influenza throughout the country that has led to the slaughter of 46 million chickens spanning 14 different states may have spread to Georgia, forcing the state to swiftly react.

State officials confiscated and slaughtered three flocks on Tuesday amid concerns the bird flu had spread to those flocks, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In the report, the state’s Department of Agriculture told the AJC it does not believe the bird flu spread to those three flocks, but that the risk was high enough to warrant the measures taken.

State veterinarian Dr. Robert Cobb also told the AJC that Georgia-based chicken farmers all purchased eggs or chicks from the same farm in Iowa, the heartland of the recent epidemic. That particular farm did not test positive for the bird flu at the time of the purchases, according to the report, but subsequent tests have shown the farm has since been infected.

Because the poultry industry is such a large industry in Georgia — with a nearly $6 billion impact on the state’s economy — the threat of bird flu could not be taken lightly. However, the aftermath of the bird flu’s potential spread to the peach state had its own financial implications.

In areas affected by the recent slaughters, egg prices have soared due to a reduced supply in contrast to a sustained demand. In Iowa, egg prices tripled due to the avian flu, and the same rise can be found in Georgia’s marketplaces. This week, the cost of one-dozen eggs at Publix locations in Georgia sits at $2.87 as of time of publication….more here

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Chickens Slaughtered in Georgia to Thwart Bird Flu’s Spread