Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, Michigan’s largest egg producer, says it will lay off hundreds of employees in Ionia County as it deals with an outbreak of bird flu.
In a notice filed with the state on Wednesday, Herbruck’s said it plans to lay off an estimated 400 employees at five of its farms — three in Saranac and two in Lake Odessa. The move will affect hourly and salaried employees as well as contractors.
The company cited the impact of an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or bird flu, on its operations as the reason for the layoffs.
“The company’s hen population in some of its Ionia county farms have been unexpectedly impacted by avian influenza, which is highly contagious to hens and deadly to hem,” Herbruck’s wrote in the notice.
In a statement released to News 8, CEO Greg Herbruck said work is “not available” at the affected facilities. He went on to say the layoffs are expected to be “temporary” and that the company plans to rehire many workers as it recovers from the effects of the outbreak.
“In the face of ongoing efforts to address the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza alongside state and federal regulators, Herbruck’s has reached the difficult decision to conduct layoffs at the affected facilities where work is not available. We expect this to largely be temporary, as we plan to rehire many positions as we work to repopulate our facilities and continue egg production as safely and quickly as possible. We understand this is a stressful situation for our team members, and we are working with our state partners to provide them with resources, answer questions and assist in their individual family situations.”
The virus was detected last month at Herbruck’s near Saranac. The poultry ranch responded with measures aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, among them stopping the flow of birds in and out of the facility.
On Wednesday, Saranac-area neighbors told News 8 they have seen a lot of activity around Herbruck’s in recent weeks, describing “lots of traffic” and workers in hazmat suits, as well as noting it has been “very smelly.”
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring said when HPAI is detected, there are procedures and policies that must be followed, including “preemptive depopulation of flocks.” He said composting of the birds can cause a smell
MDARD says there have been avian flu detections in poultry flocks in Newaygo and Ionia counties. Bird flu can cause flu-like symptoms in poultry like lack of energy, appetite and coordination. It can also cause swelling, coughing and reduced egg production. It is very contagious among birds and can be spread through contact with infected poultry, equipment and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.
The state has said the public health risk remains low and no birds or bird products infected with bird flu will enter the commercial food chain.