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Cases / Disease outbreaks · United States · 2022–2026

US bird flu indemnity and egg prices

Nature's voice · report
200.65 million of my birds died.
Commercial poultry losses, February 2022 to 10 March 2026 (APHIS data, via AviNews).
Did nature suffer? Yes. Harm is on record.
What the record lacks: 2 none on record · 2 insufficient · 2 disputed See the gaps

Since February 2022 more than 200 million US commercial birds have been lost to avian influenza, and the federal government has paid more than a billion dollars in indemnity. Four companies received about a quarter of the bird and egg payments, and one of them, Cal-Maine, reported record profits and a Department of Justice inquiry into egg prices.

About 26% estimateShare of bird and egg indemnity received by the four largest recipients
$299 million of $1.138 billion, through 22 January 2025 (Sentient Media, citing USDA data). Estimate for the percentage: 299 / 1,138.

Status As of March 2026: commercial poultry losses since February 2022 reached 200,650,010 birds; the Department of Justice egg-price inquiry disclosed in March 2025 has no outcome in the record.

What?
US federal indemnity paid to poultry owners for birds and eggs lost to avian influenza, with a few large firms receiving the largest payments.
Where?
United States, nationwide commercial poultry production. AviNews
When?
February 2022 to March 2026; indemnity figures through 22 January 2025. AviNews
Who?
Gained
  • Jennie-O, Herbruck's, Center Fresh and Cal-Maine — The four largest indemnity recipients through 22 January 2025: $120 million, $89 million, $46 million and $44 million.
  • Cal-Maine — Net income of $1.2 billion in fiscal 2025, up 332%, as its price per dozen rose from $1.932 to $3.134. Food Business News
  • Rembrandt and Tyson — Among the largest recipients by January 2024 ($27.9 million and $24.3 million). PoultryMed
Lost
  • USDA programme funds — Total programme cost of $1.46 billion through 22 January 2025.
  • Egg buyers — Cal-Maine's price per dozen rose from $1.932 to $3.134 in its 2025 fiscal year. Food Business News
Harmed
  • Commercial poultry — 200,650,010 birds lost between February 2022 and 10 March 2026. AviNews
Why?
Outbreaks of avian influenza required the destruction of flocks, and USDA indemnity is paid to the owner of the birds. The Poultry Site
How?
USDA pays the bird owner; contract growers' share is set by contract under the 2016 and 2018 rules. Payments continued to farms infected more than once ($227 million). The Poultry Site
6 of 6 questions answered from the record

What happened

The record, in order.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, or bird flu) has been spreading through US commercial poultry since February 2022. AviNews, relaying data from the US animal-health agency APHIS, reported that commercial poultry losses reached 200,650,010 birds between February 2022 and 10 March 2026.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) pays indemnity for birds and eggs destroyed in outbreaks. Sentient Media, citing USDA data, reported that by 22 January 2025 bird and egg indemnity totalled $1.138 billion and the whole programme had cost $1.46 billion. In January 2024 PoultryMed had reported that USDA had spent about $1 billion on the response, of which $715 million was indemnity, with Jennie-O ($74.8 million), Rembrandt ($27.9 million) and Tyson ($24.3 million) the largest recipients at that date.

Indemnity has been paid to the owner of the birds. The Poultry Site reported in February 2016 that new rules would require compensation to be shared with contract growers under their contracts; the record shows 2016 and 2018 rules with that effect. By 22 January 2025 the four largest recipients were, according to Sentient Media, Jennie-O ($120 million), Herbruck's ($89 million), Center Fresh ($46 million) and Cal-Maine ($44 million), together $299 million.

Sentient Media also reported that farms infected more than once continued to be paid: $227 million went to repeatedly infected farms, of which 67 operations were infected at least twice and 19 at least three times. The same report said the earlier biosecurity audit recorded a failure rate of zero.

Food Business News reported on 22 July 2025 that Cal-Maine had $4.3 billion in sales and $1.2 billion in net income in its 2025 fiscal year, up 332%, and that its price per dozen eggs rose from $1.932 to $3.134. In March 2025 Just Food reported that Cal-Maine had disclosed a civil investigative demand from the Department of Justice in an inquiry into egg prices; the company had lost a price-fixing case in 2023.

  1. 2016New US rules on sharing bird flu indemnity with contract growers reported (February); a further rule followed in 2018
  2. 2022Commercial poultry losses to HPAI begin to be counted (from February)
  3. 2023Cal-Maine loses a price-fixing case
  4. 2024USDA reports about $1 billion spent, $715 million of it indemnity (January)
  5. 2025Indemnity through 22 January: $1.138 billion, programme $1.46 billion; DOJ civil investigative demand to Cal-Maine disclosed (March); Cal-Maine reports $1.2 billion net income for fiscal 2025 (July)
  6. 2026Commercial poultry losses reach 200,650,010 birds by 10 March

What was said

Claims, in the words of those who made them.

Where accounts differ

Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.

Who receives bird flu indemnity, and does it protect farmers?
Government and regulators
USDA

Indemnity presented as protecting farmers.

Government and regulators
USDA rules (2016 and 2018)

Indemnity is paid to the owner of the birds; sharing with contract growers is set by contract.

The Poultry Site
Press and investigations
Sentient Media (citing USDA and APHIS records)

The four largest recipients received $299 million, about 26% of bird and egg indemnity, and $227 million went to farms infected more than once.

Egg prices and the large producers
Government and regulators
US Department of Justice

Sent Cal-Maine a civil investigative demand in an inquiry into egg prices.

Just Food
Company or project
Cal-Maine

Disclosed the demand; reported $1.2 billion net income, up 332%, for fiscal 2025.

Food Business News

How it looked

What was shown, beside what was recorded.

Shown

  • Indemnity presented as protecting farmers
    USDA

Recorded

  • Through 22 January 2025 the four largest recipients were Jennie-O ($120 million), Herbruck's ($89 million), Center Fresh ($46 million) and Cal-Maine ($44 million): $299 million in total.
  • $227 million was paid to farms infected more than once: 67 operations at least twice and 19 at least three times.
  • The earlier biosecurity audit recorded a failure rate of zero.
  • Cal-Maine reported $1.2 billion net income for fiscal 2025, up 332%.
    Food Business News
  • Commercial poultry losses reached 200,650,010 birds between February 2022 and 10 March 2026.
    AviNews

Who gained

Money that reached nature, beside money that stayed elsewhere.

Reached nature or the ground

Not published
No figure published.

Gained elsewhere

$299m
Sum of the four largest recipients, as reported by Sentient Media citing USDA data.
Jennie-O: bird and egg indemnity$120m
Herbruck's: bird and egg indemnity$89m
Center Fresh: bird and egg indemnity$46m
Cal-Maine: bird and egg indemnity$44m
Currency: USD · Window: Indemnity through 22 January 2025. All figures cover the same period. * Estimate built from cited figures.

Responses on record

  • usda: Indemnity presented as protecting farmers.
  • cal-maine (2025-03): Disclosed that it had received a civil investigative demand from the Department of Justice in the egg-price inquiry. · Just Food

In court and with insurers

Every proceeding and every insurer decision on record.

Lawsuits and rulings

  1. 2025-03–Ongoing
    Department of Justice civil inquiry into egg prices
    US Department of Justice · Regulatory · US Department of Justice → Cal-Maine

    The Department of Justice sent Cal-Maine a civil investigative demand in its inquiry into egg prices, which the company disclosed. No outcome is recorded. Just Food

  2. 2023Claimant won
    Egg price-fixing case (2023)
    · Civil · → Cal-Maine

    Just Food reported that Cal-Maine had lost a price-fixing case in 2023. the sources reviewed give no further detail. Just Food

Insurers

No insurer decision on record.

What nature saw

Outcomes measured on the ground, and nature's note.

Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.

Commercial poultry lost
200.65 million
February 2022 to 10 March 2026 (APHIS data, via AviNews)
Indemnity to the four largest recipients
$299 million
About 26% of $1.138 billion in bird and egg indemnity, through 22 January 2025
Indemnity to repeatedly infected farms
$227 million
67 operations infected at least twice, 19 at least three times

What we don't know

Undisclosed, unproven, untried: recorded as data.
Court ruling exists

Accounts

  • Disputed Who receives bird flu indemnity, and does it protect farmers?
  • Disputed Egg prices and the large producers

Record

  • Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: that indemnity covered about 12% of flock losses, or about 8% of producers' own estimates of their losses.
  • Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: deaths of more than 650,000 seabirds and more than 30,000 sea lions in South America, and of elephant seal pups at Península Valdés, from the same virus.
  • None on record Reported but not tied to an opened source: more than 547 million birds dead or culled worldwide from 2005 to 2023, with a peak of 146 million in 2022, attributed to a WOAH HPAI report.
  • None on record Outcome of the Department of Justice inquiry into egg prices: not in the record.

Did the harm stop?

The record shows no end to outbreaks or payments: losses were still being counted in March 2026.

Who paid?

The federal programme paid $1.46 billion through 22 January 2025. Cal-Maine's reported price per dozen rose from $1.932 to $3.134 in its 2025 fiscal year.

Sources

Voices on record: — Company or project— Government and regulators— Courts✓ Press and investigations— Communities and civil society— Researchers

Press and investigations

  2. USDA allocates 1B to combat HPAI
    PoultryMed · 2024-01-17

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