A prominent Arizona egg farmer is calling on the federal government to allow vaccination of chickens against bird flu, citing soaring prices and industry struggles. Glenn Hickman, president and CEO of Buckeye-based Hickman’s Family Farms, says vaccinating chickens would lower prices and help prevent avian flu outbreaks.
Hickman notes that some European countries are using vaccines produced in the US on chickens, ducks, and turkeys to control avian flu outbreaks. He claims that vaccination is a proven method for protecting chickens and is already used for other poultry diseases.
The industry has lost 12% of its 40 million birds to bird flu since December, leading to record-high egg prices. Hickman says his farm in Maricopa lost 1.1 million chickens, making it difficult for the industry to ramp up production quickly.
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has expressed support for vaccinating chickens against bird flu, urging President Trump to take action. The senator believes that vaccination can help bring down egg prices and alleviate industry struggles.
Egg farmers face unique challenges in preventing avian flu outbreaks due to the presence of wild birds outside their facilities. Thorough air filtering is not a viable solution due to the size of the buildings. Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect chickens from bird flu.
Source: https://ktar.com/arizona-business/vaccinating-chickens-egg-prices/5664012