Wisconsin
How has Wisconsin’s poultry been impacted by bird flu, hardest hit counties and more answers
Dozens of Wisconsin poultry flocks, both commercial and backyard, have felt the effects of the lethal bird flu outbreak since its ignition three years ago.
As of the end of 2024, Wisconsin lost 3.67 million birds — laying hens, turkeys and upland game birds — across 19 commercial flocks since the current strain was first detected in wild birds in the U.S. in January 2022.
Today, the outbreak among poultry has been found in all 50 states, impacting, birds, growers, workers and consumers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 156.25 million birds in 1,531 flocks have been killed. Nearly half of those flocks were raised in commercial operations.
The disease was first detected in dairy cows in Kansas and Texas dairy herds in March 2024. However, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) bird flu has not been detected in any of the state’s dairy herds.
As of Feb. 5, 2025, bird flu was confirmed in 959 dairy herds in 16 states. Of those herds infected, 753 are from the state of California. In the last 30 days, 34 news cases have been detected in just two states: California and Nevada.
How has Wisconsin’s poultry been impacted by bird flu?
While dairy cows infected by bird flu typically recover over time, the disease is lethal to poultry and wild birds.
The death of millions of laying hens has caused a table egg shortage in many parts of the country, which has driven prices up to record levels.
To date, 3.67 million birds from 19 Wisconsin commercial poultry flocks across eight counties — Barron, Burnett, Dunn, Jefferson, Polk, Racine, Trempealeau and Washburn — have been depopulated.
Among those deaths were 722,200 meat turkeys, 13,200 breeder turkey hens, 2.75 million laying hens, 187,900 upland game birds and 10,000 meat ducks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS). DATCP reported a loss of 1,424 birds from backyard flocks.
On Dec. 18, 2024, Wisconsin health officials reported the first human case of bird flu in the state when a worker at a commercial turkey farm in Barron County tested positive after experiencing mild symptoms. Health officials reported that the worker had been exposed to infected poultry at the operation.
How much have egg prices increased?
Egg prices have risen nationwide by about 38% in the past year, bringing the average cost of one dozen up to $3.65 in November vs. $3.37 in October and $2.14 in November 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. Prices have risen even more since fall.
Of course, $3.65 is just an average. Data from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service demonstrates the variation in egg carton prices.
As of Jan. 10, it shows that the wholesale price for a carton of large eggs in the New York market rose to $6.25 a dozen. The Midwest region saw prices around $5.91 and California as high as $8.97.
In other cases, eggs are absent from shelves.
What counties have been hit hardest by bird flu?
Jefferson County suffered the largest losses in March 2022 when 2.75 million laying hens at Cold Spring Egg Farms, owned by S&R Egg Company had to be depopulated by the disease.
Barron County reported several outbreaks in 2022, 2023 and 2024 where 293,600 birds were infected.
Trempealeau County reported three bird flu outbreaks at turkey farms, killing 123,500 birds.
What year was the most deadly for bird flu outbreaks?
The first year of the outbreak was the deadliest for state poultry with 3.3 million birds affected in 29 outbreaks in 2022.
Over 307,000 birds died in 2023 in six outbreaks, while 73,169 birds were depopulated in 4 outbreaks in 2024.
Wisconsin has not confirmed a new bird flu outbreak in a poultry flock since Dec. 26, 2024.
National bird flu statistics paint a grim picture of bird flu devastation
In the last 30 days, USDA/APHIS reported 127 flocks with confirmed cases of bird flu impacting 21.54 million birds nationally.
The deadliest month for bird flu across the U.S. was January, when 85 commercial flocks lost 23.25 million birds.
What states have been the hardest hit across the U.S.?
According to USDA/APHIS, the top 4 hardest hit states in the U.S. include:
- California, 104 commercial (broiler/table eggs) flocks, 38 backyard flocks, 23.48 million birds;
- Minnesota, 141 commercial flocks (mostly turkeys), 43 backyard flocks, 9.14 million birds;
- Ohio, 56 commercial (table egg) flocks, 11 backyard flocks, 19.71 million birds; and
- South Dakota, 114 flocks (mostly turkey and upland game), 25 backyard flocks, 6.1 million birds.
Claire Reid and Mary Walrath-Holdridge contributed to this article.
Contact Colleen Kottke at 920-517-2653 or ckottke@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @ColleenKottke.