H-E-B limits sales as bird flu epidemic reduces egg supply - The Killeen Daily Herald
An H5N2 bird flu epidemic has killed millions of layer hens across the United States and reduced the nation’s egg supply by at least 12 percent, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Although the cost of eggs has increased by 50 percent in some parts of the country, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, local restaurant owners have yet to feel the pinch. Janet Crouch, co-owner of Ideal Poultry in Cameron, said her business has increased since the announcement of the epidemic. “We are in the baby chick hatching business, and our retail sales have been picking up. ”. The increase in retail sales comes from more people wanting to get into small-scale, domestic egg production, Crouch said. The only negative effect the disease has had on Ideal Poultry was the cancellation of the poultry portion of the Ohio State Fair. “The organizers of the fair decided not to have poultry this year so we had to reschedule shipping some birds,” Crouch said. So far, the bird flu has not spread to Texas, but state agencies are monitoring the disease, according to statements from the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Source: kdhnews.com
