Texas egg facility halts production after bird flu found in chickens

Cal-Maine Foods says 1.6m laying hens destroyed as officials also detect virus in poultry facility in Michigan

The largest producer of fresh eggs in the US said on Tuesday it had temporarily halted production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens, and officials said the virus had also been detected at a poultry facility in Michigan.

Ridgeland, Mississippi-based Cal-Maine Foods Inc said in a statement that approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, about 3.6% of its total flock, were destroyed after the infection, avian influenza, was found at a facility in Parmer county, Texas.