Bird flu puts organic hens into lockdown from Pennsylvania to France

Organic and free-range birds have been thrown into lockdown.

The switch comes as a surprise to shoppers already shelling out more money for eggs due to cullings of infected flocks. 

Consumers pay extra for specialty eggs, thinking they come from hens that can venture out of barns.

U.S. watchdogs say retailers and egg companies must do a better job informing customers that hens are kept inside, as shoppers track their spending amid record global food inflation.

Keeping birds inside is safest for now, according to government officials, because a single case of bird flu results in entire flocks being culled.

The virus can also infect humans, though experts say the risk is low.

In France, where the government has temporarily required farmers to keep chickens indoors since November,

• some retailers are defying obligations to post clear information for consumers about the mandate, according to checks of grocery stores by Reuters.

Allowing chickens time outside is thought to be more humane, giving consumers some peace of mind about buying animal farm products.

Veterinarians say:

• poultry with outdoor access are particularly vulnerable to becoming infected with bird flu,
• officially known as highly pathogenic avian influenza or HPAI, because migratory birds spread the disease.
• Poultry can fall ill from contact with infected wild birds, their feathers or feces.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends farmers keep poultry indoors “as long as the HPAI outbreak is ongoing,” but has not required confinement.

The U.S. outbreak is the second-worst in history, with more than 35 million birds wiped out this year.

France has culled

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