You may not have the ability to order duck at your favourite restaurant.
Sadly, due to avian Influenza (chicken flu), the final business duck farm on Lengthy Island may shut. Based in 1908, Crescent Duck Farm was the house of just about 100,000 birds.
Topic to “depopulating, cleaning and disinfection activities,” the Lengthy Island farm was typical of many throughout the U.S. and past.
6 Info: Avian Influenza
1. Avian Influenza in the USA.
The USDA confirmed reviews of avian influenza in business and yard flocks. As well as, they’ve cited contaminated wild birds, mammals, and livestock. Exhausting to think about, the map represents the 125 million birds which were contaminated since 2022 when all of it started:
2. As a result of fewer chickens imply fewer eggs, egg costs proceed to rise to new highs:
Axios predicts eggs within the Southeast and South Central might go up past $7 a dozen.
3. Some markets report shortages.
Walmart stated provide is tight in some areas however they haven’t constrained purchases. Equally, a King Kullen grocery store in Lengthy Island NY informed prospects an egg shelf was empty as a result of, “as a part of Avian Influenza, select egg varieties may be temporarily out of stock.” The Publix chain, largely within the South, additionally reported shortages.
2. It’s not simply native.
108 international locations have reported outbreaks of avian flu.
3. Responding, egg farmers need to cull flocks.
Due to avian flu, greater than 20 million chickens died over the last quarter of 2024.
4. Every individual in US eats roughly 296 eggs a 12 months.
Since every hen lays 300 eggs a 12 months and every of us eats nearly 300 eggs a 12 months, do we want a rooster for each individual within the U.S.?
Nevertheless it’s not fairly that straightforward since there are totally different sorts of egg laying chickens. The USDA tells us that whereas there have been 379 million egg layers, simply 312 produced desk or market-type eggs.
5. Additional climbing costs, states together with Massachusetts, California, Utah and Colorado have mandated cage free hens.
In Colorado, for instance, producers with greater than 3,000 hens should comply whereas retailers promoting greater than 750 eggs every week need to inventory them. A Colorado egg farmer stated the cage free requirement would nudge his prices up by 30%.
6. It isn’t really easy for Crescent Duck Farm to restock.
In keeping with the NY Occasions, the final Lengthy Island duck from Crescent might turn into a tragic reminiscence. Solely after a 2-to 3-month clean-up course of may they’ve the federal government’s permission to restock. The proprietor stated, “My customers are people who use multiple ducks a night — chefs who use duck after duck after duck.” Consequently, he has to ensure that the genetic pressure of a brand new flock recreated his “optimal meat to fat ratio.”
My sources and extra: Because of a Bloomberg radio report for uplifting in the present day’s submit. From there, USA At present. had the map, the USDA had rooster statistics, and NPR Illinois had extra on eggs. Then this Colorado web site informed about their cage free regulation and Axios had the up-to-date details.
