Bird flu: NZ’s largest egg supplier Mainland Poultry puts 500,000 layer hens into lockdown as precaution
New Zealand's largest egg supplier, Mainland Poultry, has moved 550,000 free-range hens indoors as a precautionary measure following the detection of bird flu in wild birds. While no commercial flocks have been infected, the company is prioritizing biosecurity to protect the supply chain.
Why it matters
This action highlights the economic and logistical challenges agricultural sectors face when managing the threat of zoonotic diseases in food production.
New Zealand’s largest egg supplier is putting hundreds of thousands of free-range chickens into lockdown after the deadly bird flu virus was detected in the country for the first time.
Mainland Poultry, which supplies nearly 40% of the country’s eggs, has taken the precautionary step of isolating more than half a million free-range laying hens while officials work out the extent of the disease’s spread.
While there have been zero cases of bird flu identified in commercial poultry flocks, and meat and eggs remain safe to eat, chief executive John McKay said the two detected in wild birds for the first time last week had prompted them to try to mitigate the risks.
McKay, who is also the chair of the Egg Producers Federation (EPF), told Ryan Bridge TODAY the nationwide agribusiness had just over 1.3 million hens, with around 550,000 of those farmed as free-range.
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