BOSTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – An estimated 400 workers will be laid off by a poultry ranch that operates several mid-Michigan farms due to a bird flu outbreak.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, a Michigan company that produces and distributes eggs in the U.S., said this week that it plans to lay off hundreds of employees, though largely temporarily. The company’s hen populations at several of its farms in mid-Michigan have been “unexpectedly impacted by the avian influenza,” impacting operations, officials said.
Herbruck’s sells regular and organic eggs in the U.S., and supplies eggs sold by the popular brand Eggland’s Best.
In a required letter written to Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Herbruck’s wrote this week that layoffs would begin Wednesday, May 15 due to the outbreak. About 400 hourly, salaried, and contracted employees were expected to be laid off from five of the company’s farms in Ionia County, just east of the Grand Rapids area.
The layoffs were expected to be “largely temporary,” though some layoffs would be permanent, Herbruck’s wrote. It was not specified which workers would be temporarily laid off.
Many workers will be rehired in the future as “hen replenishing and egg production increases,” officials said.
The bird flu is an upper respiratory illness that spreads quickly among bird populations through direct contact with infected birds, or indirectly through contact such as with contaminated equipment, or clothing and shoes of caretakers. Highly pathogenic bird flu -- which was first reported in Michigan in 2022 -- can cause serious disease and death, especially among domestic poultry, according to the USDA.
Cases of the bird flu have been on the rise this year, affecting the poultry industry in the U.S. and beyond. Egg prices reached near-historic highs in many parts of the world earlier this year as the market deals with the disease and other issues like rising farming costs.
---> Bird flu found in Michigan commercial poultry flock: What to know
Bird flu has also been impacting other animals and markets, with viruses found in cow milk products. Dairy cattle in Michigan tested positive for the bird flu earlier this year.
Officials say they’re confident that the nation’s beef supply is safe. The USDA also said in April that it would be testing ground beef for the bird flu.
Health officials are urging people to avoid consuming raw, or unpasteurized, milk or milk products, particularly as the bird flu spreads. These products may contain bacteria and viruses that aren’t killed off as they would normally be during the pasteurization process.
---> There’s bird flu in US dairy cows. Raw milk drinkers aren’t deterred