WattAgNet: Iowa recovery from avian flu in 2015 continues

Written June 1, 2016

Iowa egg production is up sharply from December, but still down from one year ago

Iowa’s egg industry continues to recover from the effects of the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak of 2015.

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that Iowa egg production in April was 1.09 billion eggs, down 17 percent from the 1.28 billion eggs produced in April 2015, but up significantly from 812 million eggs in December 2015. The agency also noted that the average number of all laying hens on hand during April 2016 was 49.2 million, down 12 percent from 56.1 million one year ago, but up from 37.9 million in December 2015. 

United States egg production totaled 8.21 billion during April 2016, down 1 percent from 8.29 billion in April 2015. April egg production per 100 layers was 2,273 eggs, down 1 percent from 2,291 eggs in April 2015.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported that Iowa’s economy took a hit of about $1.2 billion that stemmed from the death of more than 30 million hens and 1.5 million turkeys because of the avian flu outbreak in the spring of 2015, citing a study commissioned by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

The last confirmed case of avian influenza in Iowa was reported on June 17, 2015. In that case, approximately 1 million layers were affected by H5N2 at a farm in Wright County.