Nearly 1.8 million chickens will be culled in the latest bird flu outbreak at a Colorado poultry farm
Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency for the egg-laying operation in Weld County
Following the discovery of bird flu at an egg-laying facility in Weld County, nearly 1.8 million hens will be put to death. This is a significant return of the disease on a commercial farm, where more than 6 million birds have already been culled.
During the extended weekend of the holidays, Governor Jared Polis proclaimed the institution to be in a state of disaster. By taking this action, the state’s emergency operations plan is activated and more resources are made available to combat the epidemic.
The facility’s name was withheld by a Colorado Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.
The state called the wholesale culling, or “depopulation,” the greatest in a commercial flock since avian flu was discovered in Colorado in the early months of 2002. A commercial poultry plant located in Weld County experienced an outbreak in June 2022, which led to the culling of almost 1.9 million birds.
The kind of bird flu that is currently plaguing Colorado dairy cattle is also referred to as highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, cow illnesses have not always resulted in death.
The phrase “highly pathogenic” in the virus’s name refers to the fact that infections in birds do not function the same way. Amidst a global bird flu pandemic, the disease was first identified in Colorado and has since killed countless wild birds and some mammals, including skunks, bears, and mountain lions.
In order to stop the disease from spreading, it is usual procedure to kill the entire flock and destroy any eggs when bird flu infiltrates a poultry farm, whether it be a backyard or commercial one. The federal government may be able to reimburse producers for their losses.
The state of Colorado witnessed a minor trickle of recorded cases in 2023, primarily in backyard or small commercial operations as well as in wild birds. Those massive commercial cullings peaked in the second half of 2022.
However, a somber revival was marked in February of this year when an outbreak at a farm in Delta County resulted in the deaths of 67,000 hens.
Additionally, Colorado has detected two human cases of avian influenza. Both occurrences were minor and occurred in employees who were in close proximity to animals that were affected. Bird flu is still seen as posing little risk to people, even after the workers recovered.
