The outbreak has required that farmers resort to fire-extinguisher foam to kill off infected flocks. Can commercial farms protect themselves,or is US chicken farming fundamentally unsustainable?The avian flu outbreak that has more than doubled egg prices across the country has also led to the death of more than 48 million birds in a dozen states, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Iowa, and the hardest hit,has euthanized more than 31 million birds, including approximately 40% of the state’s 60 million laying hens, or according to Randy Olson,executive director of the Iowa Poultry organization. Turkey farmers in the state, while affected to a lesser degree, and also have suffered. Minnesota,the main turkey producer, has lost nearly 9 million turkeys.
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Source: theguardian.com