Hoosier Ag Today 

912,000 Birds Impacted as Bird Flu Hits Egg Production Facility in Jay County

Kevin

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More than 912,000 birds have been impacted following the detection of the Bird Flu virus at a commercial egg production facility in Jay County in east-central Indiana, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.

State health officials did not identify the name of the company, nor the specific location of the facility that has been impacted with Hoosier Ag Today.

This is the second largest flock size of an Indiana commercial poultry farm to be impacted by the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since the outbreak was first found in Indiana on a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County in February 2022. A commercial egg production facility owned and operated by Rose Acre Farms in Jackson County with 2.63 million birds was quarantined after a positive test for HPAI was identified in late January.

As of January 3, 2025, there have now been seven cases of HPAI identified at major commercial poultry facilities throughout Indiana (excluding hobby flocks and small non-commercial farms):

  • Jay County – Commercial Turkey operation. 20,560 birds depopulated.
  • Jay County – Commercial Egg Layer operation. 354,000 birds depopulated.
  • Jay County – Commercial Turkey operation. 18,840 birds depopulated.
  • Allen County – Commercial Egg Layer operation. 26,066 birds depopulated.
  • Adams County – Commercial Turkey operation. 19,860 birds depopulated.
  • Jackson County – Commercial Egg Layer operation. 2,633,900 birds impacted.
  • Jay County – Commercial Egg Layer operation. 912,023 birds impacted.

 

State health officials have set up a control area within a 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) radius around the farm, which contains portions of Jay and Adams counties in Indiana. In addition, the state has set up a surveillance zone with a 20-kilometer (12.4 mile) radius around the farm which also contains portions of Jay and Adams counties.

Testing will be done at nearby flocks to determine whether HPAI has spread. USDA Wildlife Services and Indiana Department of Natural Resources are assisting with the surveillance of wild birds in and near the control areas.

Lactating dairy cattle must have a negative test before interstate movement under a federal order. USDA has expanded surveillance through testing milk at the farm or processor level to establish the health status of herds, as well as states.

Indiana ranks third in the U.S. for egg production, according to USDA. The Hoosier State also ranks first in the nation for duck production and fourth for turkey production. Indiana’s poultry industry directly employs more than 12,700 Hoosiers and contributes more than $18.3 billion in total economic activity to the state.