"The first tastes of wintry weather have brought an ominous feeling back to Sonoma County's poultry producers. At least three farms have tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu, or HPAI, in the past three weeks early echoes of the 2023-24 winter outbreak that devastated the local industry. If the wind changes, as it did a couple days ago, we're nervous, said Mike Weber, who co-owns egg-laying operations Sunrise Farms and Weber Family Farms in Petaluma. We're on pins and needles until February."
"Weber's farms had been spared the contagion as of Friday unlike two years ago, when the business lost 550,000 chickens and 3.2 million eggs at two sites. The three recent Sonoma County cases are the first recorded among California's commercial producers this winter. Like human flu, avian influenza consistently spikes in colder months. HPAI spreads along the continent's migratory flyways, including the Pacific Flyway that blankets the North Bay."
Three Sonoma County poultry farms have tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in early winter, echoing a devastating 2023–24 outbreak that killed hundreds of thousands of birds. Producers express intense anxiety about wind shifts and seasonal migration patterns that drive virus spread along the Pacific Flyway. USDA confirmed cases with logs dated Oct. 27, Oct. 28 and Nov. 5. One affected property is a commercial egg farm. Major supplier Perdue reported enhanced biosecurity and no impact, while at least one local egg producer did not respond to outreach. Producers fear repeat losses to flocks and egg supplies.
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