Hickman’s Family Farms Faces Catastrophic Bird Flu Outbreak
Buckeye, AZ – Hickman’s Family Farms, the largest egg producer in the Southwest, is grappling with a devastating outbreak of bird flu that has wiped out 95% of its flock in Arizona. During a press conference on Friday, President and CEO Glenn Hickman revealed that the company has lost approximately 6 million birds since mid-May, following an earlier incident that resulted in the death of 1.1 million birds.
State officials declared an animal disease emergency as Hickman outlined extensive biosecurity measures in place, including air cannons and mandatory showers for staff entering farms. Despite these precautions, the airborne nature of the virus has left their chickens vulnerable.
The outbreak is expected to have severe financial repercussions, leading to potential layoffs, and Hickman underscores the urgent need for federal approval to vaccinate their flocks to prevent further spread. Currently, Hickman’s has about 600,000 birds remaining in operations at its Maricopa and Grand Junction, Colorado farms. The CEO estimates that it could take up to two years to rebuild their flock.
"We did everything we could to prevent this," Hickman lamented. "The government must act to protect our industry and public health."
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