Wisconsin State Farmer
March 9, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT
Bird flu outbreaks impact Wisconsin egg producer
State officials have reported two more outbreaks of bird flu in commercial flocks in Jefferson and Walworth counties – both owned by the nation’s fourth largest egg producer Daybreak Foods, Inc.
The Lake Mills based company was hit by an outbreak in an egg-laying facility near Palmyra in Jefferson County on Feb. 26. when 1.2 million birds had to be depopulated. With the latest outbreaks, this is the fifth time in six months the virus has hit Daybreak Foods’ facilities.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection [DATCP], the Jefferson County flock had more than 1.6 million hens while the Walworth County flock had nearly 1.5 million chickens.
DATCP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture animal health officials are working together in a joint incident response. The affected premises have been quarantined and the birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system, according to a news release from DATCP. Birds are typically composted on land owned by the poultry company.
The spring migration of wild birds and waterfowl usually spurs a resurgence of bird flu cases across the U.S.
Ron Kean, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s poultry specialist, told Wisconsin Public Radio that poultry producers are also growing frustrated by a lack of solutions in this new era of avian flu response.
“There’s going to have to be more work on vaccination, which is a big international political issue,” he said. “That I think is one of the big frustrations for the poultry industry.”
International trade restrictions on vaccinated poultry have made the federal government and some American poultry producers hesitant about a vaccine rollout. But some countries, including France and Britain, are moving toward vaccinating birds against the disease, WPR reported.
Daybreak Foods raises more than 24 million laying hens, according to its website. Kean said losing over 4 million laying hens is a large percentage of the state’s commercial poultry population.
Last year’s outbreaks of bird flu seriously impacted the egg-laying industry, sparking egg shortages across the country and driving up the cost of eggs to consumers.
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