Tyson’s Supplier Just Destroyed Thousands Of Birds Because Of This

Not a good month for birds in Tennessee. Apparently tens of thousands of chickens were destroyed by a Tyson supplier at a chicken farm in Tennessee due to a bird flu outbreak.

Thirty other farms within a six-mile radius were also quarantined due to the H7 avian influenza outbreak.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 73,500 chickens were destroyed at the facility and will not enter the food system.

The Tennessee breeder, which remains unidentified, supplies Tyson Foods Inc.

While it’s unfortunate that the birds had to be destroyed, the influenza viruses that spread among poultry can be contagious and deadly among birds. Some deadly human flu pandemics have started with viruses that first emerged in birds.

Wall Street wasn’t too thrilled with this news as shares of Tyson fell 3%. Other companies in the sector also experienced drops in share price including Sanderson Farms Inc., Greeley, and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

The USDA announced that it does not yet know what type of H7 bird flu is affecting the chickens at Tennessee, but will know within two days.

“We’re responding aggressively, and are working with state and federal officials to contain the virus,” Tyson said in a company release.

Disclaimer: We have no position in Tyson Foods Inc. (NYSE: TSN) and have not been compensated for this article.