Avian flu suspected in up to 15 bird deaths at New York City zoos
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Bird flu infects more than just chickens–a warning for people and pets too
Why bird flu isn’t making your Super Bowl chicken wings pricier
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The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation’s supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and low-to-no stock at grocery stores, while chicken supply appears largely unchanged.
The big picture: The hens that lay eggs are not the same as the chickens raised for consumption.
- Broiler chickens, raised for meat, are completely different from layer hens raised to lay eggs, according to Tom Super of the National Chicken Council, which represents the country’s chicken producers.
- “They’re raised on different farms in completely different industries,” Super told Axios.
Zoom in: Egg-laying hens typically start laying eggs after around 18 weeks, at which point they can stay productive for a year or longer, said Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, a supply chain expert on eggs, milk and meat for management consultancy Kearney.
- Broiler chickens, on the other hand, are typically led to the slaughterhouse after anywhere from six to eight weeks, he told Axios.
- “It’s a whole different cycle,” Sutton-Vermeulen said. “You don’t have the pressure of time that they can be exposed to the virus.”
Between the lines: This helps explain why Tyson Foods recently projected a 2% increase in its chicken production for its 2025 fiscal year even as the bird flu ravages egg production.
- The company said its chicken business turned in its best performance in eight quarters in the latest three-month period on an adjusted operating income basis.
- Tyson also says it has a strong biosecurity plan to protect its operations from the bird flu.
Yes, but: Chickens have also been susceptible to the bird flu, just not to the same extent.
- Between Feb. 8, 2022, and Jan. 29, 2025, less than .0005% of all broiler production in the U.S. was impacted by the bird flu, per data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA.
- The age of the chicken, geographic region and relation to migrant bird flyways can affect its susceptibility to avian influenza, Super said. Biosecurity on farms and different housing styles could also be factors.
More from Axios:
- Waffle House adds egg surcharge, citing bird flu-fueled shortage
- Egg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows
- Bird flu causing egg prices to soar to new record high
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Go deeper
Jan 23, 2025
Bird flu is causing an egg-istential crisis
Bird flu is to blame for the elevated egg prices, rations and empty shelves at local grocery stores.
The big picture: A growing outbreak of avian influenza has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data, and it’s causing a nationwide egg shortage.
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Jan 21, 2025 –Business
Egg shortages, higher prices spike as bird flu grows
The escalating bird flu crisis is ravaging the nation’s supply of eggs, leading to increased prices and presenting an immediate challenge for the Trump administration.
Why it matters: An outbreak of avian influenza is growing and has affected nearly 13 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data.
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Feb 4, 2025 –Business
Bird flu fallout: Waffle House ushers in the era of the egg surcharge
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Endangered Florida Panther Mom Gives Cubs Cutest Growls to Follow Her Across Flooded Creek
Diana Logan
February 8, 2025 at 5:56 AM
I grew up in Florida, and we heard a lot about the severely endangered Florida Panther back then. The number of cats left in the wild during the 1970s may have been as low as twenty, but thanks to concerted conservation efforts, the population has rebounded slightly—to about two hundred individuals. However, they are still at extremely low numbers and their survival is not guaranteed.
One place you can still find a population of wild Florida Panthers is in the Big Cypress Basin east of Naples, Florida. One area has been designated the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and it is here there you can sometimes catch a glimpse of this rare and elusive animal, such as in this video of a Florida Panther and her two cubs crossing a flooded stream.
In the video, a Florida Panther named Broketail is navigating the flooded waterways of her swampy home with her latest litter of cubs. Broketail was born in 2012 and is named that for her notably crooked tail. She has successfully raised many litters in the refuge and is often seen on wildlife cameras successfully navigating the wilderness underpasses and overpasses that have been installed to help these creatures avoid the perils of Florida roads and highways. Vehicle collision is one of the major dangers for the few Florida panthers left in the wild, and refuges and safe passage systems have been instrumental in stopping their utter annihilation.
Related: National Geographic Reveals Sad News About the State of Wild Panthers in Florida
A Family Journey for Florida Panthers
In the clip, Broketail is seen approaching a deep stream, then making a huge leap across it, while her two cubs wander around, looking for an alternative route. Eventually, their mother calls to them, with allow, rumbling growl. (Make sure to turn your sound up to catch it!)
Life in the Big Cypress Swamp is filled with these kinds of explorations, as the water level, and thus the best ways through the swamp, change significantly throughout the season. Like Broketail, her cubs will need to learn the best ways to navigate not only the basin and the changing river courses in their refuge home, but also how to choose the wilderness crossing that help them avoid dangerous traffic.
The Future of the Florida Panther
The subspecies of the Florida Panther remains every bit as endangered as it ever was, but the classification system around North American Cougars has changed significantly since I was younger. What were once considered regional subspecies of cougar all over the country, from the Florida Panther in Florida to the now extinct mountain lions of Pennsylvania, now all North American Cougar species are considered variations on the same animal, like regional variations on a brown bear (Grizzly, Kodiak, etc.)
The Florida Panther has survived where so many of its sister cougars have not given a massive conservation effort. We should keep up the good work.
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Exposing the Big Game 