PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 31, 2023
Nationally and in Maine, the egg market is ruffled by short supply and increased prices. One cause is a national outbreak last year of avian influenza, which is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reportedthat the disease has killed more than 58 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks since last February. In Maine, the outbreak has included 15 backyard flocks and more than 1,000 birds. The state only has two large-scale producers (more than 3,000 chickens) and neither was impacted by avian flu.