Protecting their flock from the latest strain of the bird flu has been job number one for local egg producer Dakota Layers and its crew since early this year.
It hasn’t been easy.
The company has taken every possible precautionary measure since the latest strain cropped up in February when it was first detected in a commercial flock in the southeast. Since then, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI has infected flocks at farms and commercial flocks in 46 states, slowly nudging closer and closer to the area. Globally, this is said to be the worst outbreak on record.
But what many have speculated in recent weeks has now been confirmed.  

Officials with Dakota Layers say that HPAI was detected at the company’s egg farm on December 10, 2022. The staff continues to work with the USDA, state animal health leaders and other authorities to contain the presence. As of December 25th, their entire flock of 1.2 million hens has been euthanized.
“This news is incredibly devastating, however, we have acquired a new, off-premises facility that has allowed us to continue grading and packing eggs to our standards,” Dakota Layers General Manager Jason Ramsdell told the Moody County Enterprise. “We have helped other friends and family farmers in their times of need, and we are working with many of those same partners to source eggs.”
The same week Dakota Layers tested positive, another 1.8M hens in Colorado, and 1.2M hens in Washington state also tested positive for AI and needed to be euthanized. The scope of the problem has egg prices in many places soaring.
Unlike 2015, this year brought more positive tests on the southern migration (fall migration) of the wild birds, spreading AI throughout more areas and creating a shortage in egg supply nationwide during the holiday seasons.  
With spring migration expected to bring more virus throughout the US, and rebuilding of flock numbers taking more than a year, the shortage in supply could last for a prolonged period of time.
“Keeping a steady supply of safe, nutritious eggs for our customers is our responsibility – and our team is doing all we can to swiftly address this situation. We want to reassure you that Dakota Layers is committed to providing you safe, high-quality eggs produced under our standards of quality, safety and animal well-being,” said Tracy Ramsdell, the Marketing Director for Dakota Layers.
It’s important to note that according to the USDA, avian influenza is not considered a risk to public health. In addition, AI cannot be transmitted through safely handled and properly cooked eggs or poultry.
With this most recent detection at Dakota Layers, South Dakota has now had 60 cases of HPAI in commercial poultry operations in 2022. According to the CDC and WATTPoultry.com, a global leader for news and analysis in the poultry industry, only Minnesota has had more confirmed HPAI cases in commercial poultry with 81.