Chickens and eggs: Layers bear the brunt of the bird flu slaughter while broilers get off easy

 

It's all about the life cycle.

Headline:  KFOR, 2/14/2025

The numbers:

• 147,000,000:  number of chickens infected and depopulated by bird flu during the past 3 years
• 110,250,000 (75%):  number of layers infected 
• 13,000,000 (9%):  number of broilers infected  
• 0.0005%:  percentage of infected broilers compared to total production.  That's a hell of a lot of broilers.

9.15 billion in 2023.

 

Source:  USDA (boxes added)

 So why do broilers have a better survival rate?.  

A shorter life cycle.  

They are typically slaughtered within two months, whereas layers don't start producing until they are 4 or 5 months old and their egg-laying cycle can last for a year.

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