Bird Flu continues to wreak havoc on poultry farms in West Michigan as Ottawa County culled over 90,000 turkeys in October.
Inflation is already an issue for Michigan shoppers due to tariffs, and with beef prices as high as they are, losing a significant number of turkeys just before Thanksgiving to bird flu could further drive up poultry prices.
Bird Flu Keeps Punching Michigan Farmers in 2025
Michigan chicken and turkey farmers have faced a tough year in 2025 due to bird flu cases led to the euthanasia of thousands of birds. Bird flu has even caused problems for Michigan dairy farmers as the virus has spread to multiple herds of cattle. Even a cattle farmer was confirmed to have bird flu.
Farmers are working to prevent the spread of bird flu by controlling contact between wild and domestic animals, restricting visitors, and strengthening biosecurity practices.
Even with all of the safety measures in place, multiple outbreaks in both commercial and backyard flocks, including three in commercial and eight in backyard flocks could lead to higher prices for poultry and a possible turkey shortage for Thanksgiving. You may want to purchase your turkey now before prices go up even higher.
Over 90K Turkeys Euthanized As Bird Flu Spreads In Ottawa Co
According to MLive, two more Ottawa County commercial poultry flocks have been hit hard with bird flu leading to more than 90,000 turkeys being culled in October. Michigan State University works closely with farmers from agricultural to livestock with their lab recently detecting avian influenza in two commercial poultry flocks.
When a farm has just one bird infected, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the entire flock to be euthanized. I’m sure farmers pay a huge sum in insurance to recover damages, but folks wanting a turkey for Thanksgiving may have to pay more or cook something else.
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Although bird flu has been damaging to Michigan’s livestock it still remains a low public health risk at this time…