Bird flu wipes out over 30 million US laying hens in 2025 - USDA AMS
Avian flu resurfaces in Ohio, marking major blow to US egg production
21 April 2025
1 minute read
By: A new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in a commercial table egg flock in Darke County, Ohio — the first since March 4 — bringing 2025’s total bird losses to 30.6 million across nine states, according to the most recent Egg Markets Overview from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
To date, the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported 41 outbreaks in commercial table egg layer operations in Arizona, California, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.
The impact has been significant: 19.6 million birds were lost from conventional caged systems, 11 million from cage-free systems, and 26,000 from organic systems. These figures represent 10.8% of both the caged and non-organic cage-free layer flocks in place as of January 1, 2025.
While the caged flock declined by 12.5% from January to March, the cage-free and organic flocks grew modestly — by 4.4% and 0.3%, respectively. Despite the growth in alternative systems, nearly two-thirds of all depopulated birds this year came from caged facilities.
Ohio has been hardest hit, accounting for 44% of national losses. The state has reported 13.5 million hens lost to HPAI outbreaks in 2025 alone.
USDA officials continue to monitor the situation closely, warning that future outbreaks could further disrupt supply chains and influence egg prices across the country.
