U.S. turkey slaughter fell to a 24-year low in 2025, with disease pressure from HPAI and avian metapneumovirus contributing to lower production despite resilient demand. H5N1 activity in dairy herds reappeared across Texas, Idaho, and Utah, with Cache County, Utah entering mandatory weekly surveillance. The egg market has shifted from shortage to oversupply, pushing prices down while producer costs remain elevated. Daybreak Foods continues to manage community and disposal fallout from repeated Wisconsin outbreaks. Internationally, South Korea will import 20 million eggs to stabilize prices, while an Oregon verdict linked raw pet food to H5N1 risk in cats.

U.S. Turkey Slaughter Drops to 24-Year Low Amid Disease Pressure

U.S. turkey slaughter tonnage fell to its lowest level this century in 2025, with approximately 6.1 billion live pounds processed, according to United States Department of Agriculture Poultry Slaughter Summary data. That total was roughly 15% below the average annual tonnage processed from 2002 through 2021 and nearly 23% below the record high reached in 2008. Annual turkey headcount has also declined from about 271 million birds in peak years to approximately 191 million in 2025, a drop of roughly 30%. The decline has occurred even as average live weight increased from 26.10 pounds in 2002 to 32.54 pounds in 2024, reflecting heavier birds but fewer total turkeys processed. Recent reductions appear linked to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and avian metapneumovirus pressure on turkey flocks after 2021. Despite lower production, turkey demand has remained resilient, with recent tonnage selling at high to record wholesale prices. Recovery will depend on the industry adapting to current disease challenges (O’Keefe, 2026).

H5N1 Returns in U.S. Dairy Herds Across Texas, Idaho, and Utah

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected again in U.S. dairy cattle, with new confirmations in Texas, Idaho, and Utah. The Texas Animal Health Commission reported the state’s first dairy cattle detection of 2026, placing the affected dairy under quarantine and diverting or destroying milk from infected animals. Separately, the United States Department of Agriculture reported continued detections in Idaho through May, bringing the recent 30-day total to 15 affected dairies across Idaho and Texas. Utah also confirmed H5N1 at a Cache County dairy farm, marking the state’s first detection of the dairy-associated strain since January 2025 (McKane et al., 2026). The farm was placed under quarantine, and all dairy farms in Cache County will undergo mandatory weekly surveillance and testing. State officials said lactating cattle from infected premises cannot move on or off dairies except directly to slaughter, while public health officials reiterated that pasteurized milk remains safe. The renewed detections show that dairy-sector H5N1 activity remains geographically active despite months of reduced reporting (Soucheray, 2026).

U.S. Egg Market Swings From Shortage to Oversupply as Prices Fall

Egg prices have fallen sharply as the market shifts from avian flu-driven shortages to oversupply. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show egg prices declined 44.7% year-over-year in March 2026, following widespread flock rebuilding after last year’s HPAI losses. Egg producers say demand remains steady, but supply recovery has outpaced consumption, pushing some retail prices below $1 per dozen. Producer margins remain under pressure despite lower consumer prices. Pete & Gerry’s CEO Thomas Flocco said feed accounts for roughly half the cost of a dozen premium eggs, while fuel and labor costs continue to weigh on operations. American Egg Board CEO Emily Metz said current price weakness reflects supply growing faster than demand can absorb, driven by flock recovery, small farm growth, and improved productivity rather than a decline in egg consumption (Gomez, 2026).

Daybreak Foods CEO Addresses Composting Odor After Back-to-Back HPAI Outbreaks

Daybreak Foods CEO Bill Rehm publicly addressed the impact of repeated HPAI outbreaks at the company’s Cold Spring Egg Farm in Palmyra, Wisconsin, where millions of euthanized chickens have been composted on company-owned land. Residents have reported persistent odors affecting daily life, while Rehm described the back-to-back outbreaks over six months as “one of the worst, if not the worst event in Daybreak’s history” and said the losses have been catastrophic for employees both emotionally and economically. Daybreak is working with the state to begin moving compost off-site and is evaluating alternative disposal locations for future outbreaks. Rehm pointed to a nearby Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-managed wetland that attracts waterfowl as a potential risk factor, stating that “more waterfowl” means “more risk of contracting HPAI.” The DNR said it has not identified a correlation between the wetland and the outbreaks, but both sides acknowledged that managing future risk will require coordination among the company, state agencies, and local stakeholders (Hubbard & Tiedemann, 2026).

South Korea to Import 20 Million Eggs as Bird Flu Pressures Supply

South Korea will import an additional 20 million fresh eggs from the United States and Thailand in June and July to stabilize prices after highly pathogenic avian influenza reduced productive laying capacity. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said the imports are intended to cover about 36% of the projected June–July shortfall. The Korea Rural Economic Institute forecasts daily egg output in June at 46.92 million eggs, down 3.6% year-over-year, even though the total laying hen population has recovered to last year’s level. Egg prices remain elevated, with late-May farmgate prices for a 30-egg pack reaching 6,028 won, up 12.3% from the seasonal average and 6.3% year-over-year. Retail prices reached 7,554 won, up 8.3% from the seasonal average and 7.2% from a year earlier. The government will also raise its 30-egg discount subsidy from 1,000 won to 1,500 won and import an additional 9 million broiler hatching eggs from Europe by August to support chicken supply after breeder stock losses (Jeong-Hun, 2026).

Raw Pet Food Company Hit With $808,000 Verdict After Cat Dies From H5N1

An Oregon jury awarded $808,000 to a cat owner whose pet died from H5 bird flu allegedly linked to raw chicken cat food produced by Wild Coast Pet Foods. The lawsuit claimed the company failed to disclose H5N1 exposure risks associated with raw chicken ingredients sourced from states with high avian flu activity. The cat, a 4-year-old Siamese mix, tested positive for bird flu and was euthanized in February 2025 after treatment at veterinary facilities in Oregon.The case highlights continued H5N1 risk beyond poultry farms, particularly for cats, which are highly susceptible to severe infection from contaminated raw animal products. Wild Coast’s founder later apologized to affected pet owners and said the company had strengthened food safety practices, including high-pressure processing, additional ingredient sourcing reviews, and consultation with food safety specialists (Mona Thomas, 2026).

Indiana Duck Outbreaks Continue Across Elkhart and LaGrange Counties

Highly pathogenic avian influenza activity continued in northeastern Indiana, with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirming four commercial meat duck outbreaks between May 22 and May 29. The first involved 11,600 ducks in Elkhart County, confirmed May 22 (Graber, 2026a). Three additional commercial meat duck flocks were confirmed the following week: 7,500 ducks in Elkhart County and 5,300 ducks in LaGrange County on May 28, followed by 6,000 ducks in LaGrange County on May 29. Indiana officials also reported three presumed-positive laying hen flocks between 28,000 and 29,000 birds in Elkhart and LaGrange counties. APHIS later classified those flocks as World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Poultry rather than commercial flocks, meaning they are not expected to affect international poultry trade. The latest confirmations reinforce continued HPAI clustering in Indiana’s northeastern duck-producing region (Graber, 2026b).

References

Gomez, B. (2026, May 22). Egg prices are plunging due to oversupply — and producers say margins are taking a hit as costs rise. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/22/egg-prices-fall-due-to-oversupply-after-bird-flu-shortages.html

Graber, R. (2026a, May 27). Avian influenza infections haven’t stopped in Indiana. WattPoultry.com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15826114/avian-influenza-infections-not-stopping-in-indiana

Graber, R. (2026b, June 1). HPAI confirmed in 3 Indiana duck flocks. WATTPoultry.com. https://www.wattagnet.com/poultry-meat/diseases-health/avian-influenza/news/15826480/hpai-confirmed-in-3-indiana-duck-flocks

Hubbard, M., & Tiedemann, P. J. (2026, May 23). Palmyra egg farm owner speaks on avian flu outbreaks, compost smell affecting residents. TMJ4 News. https://www.tmj4.com/news/jefferson-county/palmyra-egg-farm-owner-speaks-on-avian-flu-outbreaks-compost-smell-affecting-residents

Jeong-Hun, L. (2026, May 28). Seoul Economic Daily. Seoul Economic Daily. https://en.sedaily.com/news/2026/05/28/korea-to-import-20-million-more-eggs-to-curb-prices

McKane, S., Martin, M., & Evans, B. (2026, June 2). Cache County dairy farms enter mandatory surveillance following avian flu detection. FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU). https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/cache-county/cache-county-dairy-farms-enter-mandatory-surveillance-following-avian-flu-detected

Mona Thomas. (2026). Oregon Man Awarded Nearly $1 Million in Lawsuit After His Cat Dies from Bird Flu Allegedly Connected to Pet Food. People.com. https://people.com/oregon-man-wins-808000-in-cat-bird-flu-lawsuit-against-pet-food-company-11985563

O’Keefe, T. (2026, May). Turkey Production Crisis: Will US Supply Bounce Back? WATTPoultry.com. https://www.wattagnet.com/blogs/food-safety-processing-perspective/blog/15820985/turkey-production-crisis-will-us-supply-bounce-back

Soucheray, S. (2026, June 4). Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Umn.edu. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/avian-flu-confirmed-texas-idaho-cows