# Bird flu hits egg-producing Iowa hard; loss expected to be 25 million hens

> A bird flu outbreak has hit egg-laying farms in Iowa, the top egg-producing state, with roughly 25 million hens dead or slated for euthanasia. Nationwide, the USDA counts about 33.5 million chickens, turkeys and ducks affected in the worst avian influenza outbreak in US history.

- Date: 2019-12-26 · published 2019-12-26T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: disease · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/55589-bird-flu-hits-egg-producing-iowa-hard-loss-expected-to-be-25-million-hens
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md)

## Why it matters

Losing a large share of laying hens cuts egg supply and tightens feed demand from layers, while the outbreak raises the risk of further flock losses and trade restrictions. Lower layer numbers are a bearish signal for corn and soymeal demand over time, though the effect on feed prices is modest.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2025-05-31 | [Largest egg producer in Southwest loses 95% of its chickens in Arizona to bird flu](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24689-largest-egg-producer-in-southwest-loses-95-of-its-chickens-in-arizona-to-bird.md) | +0.5% | -2.2% |
| CORN | 2019-12-26 | [Turkey-producing county hit hard by ripple effects of Minnesota’s bird flu epidemic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55591-turkey-producing-county-hit-hard-by-ripple-effects-of-minnesota-s-bird-flu.md) | +0.6% | +1.6% |
| CORN | 2025-02-28 | [Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits? \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26059-are-egg-producers-inflating-prices-during-the-bird-flu-outbreak-to-boost.md) | -2.4% | +0.5% |
| CORN | 2023-04-29 | [Bird flu cuts Philippine egg production by 20 percent \| Philstar.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/36419-bird-flu-cuts-philippine-egg-production-by-20-percent-philstar-com.md) | +0.3% | -1.8% |
| CORN | 2024-05-30 | [Minnesota egg operation loses 1.3M chickens to bird flu, a record for a single site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/30277-minnesota-egg-operation-loses-1-3m-chickens-to-bird-flu-a-record-for-a-single.md) | -4.0% | -5.1% |
| SBM | 2019-12-26 | [Turkey-producing county hit hard by ripple effects of Minnesota’s bird flu epidemic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55591-turkey-producing-county-hit-hard-by-ripple-effects-of-minnesota-s-bird-flu.md) | -0.4% | -1.2% |
| SBM | 2025-02-28 | [Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits? \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26059-are-egg-producers-inflating-prices-during-the-bird-flu-outbreak-to-boost.md) | +1.7% | +1.5% |
| SBM | 2024-05-30 | [Minnesota egg operation loses 1.3M chickens to bird flu, a record for a single site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/30277-minnesota-egg-operation-loses-1-3m-chickens-to-bird-flu-a-record-for-a-single.md) | -3.0% | -3.6% |

## Sources

- gov1.com: https://www.gov1.com/economic-development/articles/bird-flu-hits-egg-producing-iowa-hard-loss-expected-to-be-25-million-hens-fgUjBtFDk7x5E0iX/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.