About 400 workers at five farms in Ionia County, Michigan, will lose their jobs due to a mass layoff at Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, which is being affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza.
The company informed Michigan’s Department of Labor on Wednesday that avian flu has affected the hen population at Saranac and Lake Odessa farms, resulting in layoffs.
“In the face of ongoing efforts to address the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza alongside state and federal regulators, Herbruck’s has reached the difficult decision to conduct layoffs at the affected facilities where work is not available,” CEO Greg Herbruck said in a statement.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development recently announced an emergency order to protect local livestock from the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu. This “HPAI Risk Reduction Response Order” includes measures such as appointing a biosecurity manager, establishing a line of separation to limit access points, implementing cleaning and disinfection protocols, and logging entries in secure areas.
MDARD Director Tim Boring stated this is likely the largest response to a disease outbreak the department has ever managed in Michigan. Currently, there are seven infected commercial flocks and 14 dairy farms statewide.
“The poultry sector in Michigan, including egg-laying operations and turkey farms, has been significantly impacted. We are still assessing the full economic implications and may not have reached the peak of the outbreak,” said Boring.
Although national supply chains mean there is no immediate threat to finding eggs or turkey in stores, Boring warned, “It’s logical to expect some impact on prices.”
Key questions remain about how the disease is spreading and what treatments are effective. For more information on current bird flu statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, click here.
»Related: CDC and FDA push for precautions amid bird flu concerns
