100,000 hens lost in Hillandale Farms fire; cause unclear

A fire that broke out in a Hillandale Farms’ layer house killed approximately 100,000 laying hens on Saturday, January 28, 2023.

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A fire that broke out in a Hillandale Farms’ layer house killed approximately 100,000 laying hens on Saturday, January 28, 2023.

The fire was reported at approximately 1 p.m. and lasted several hours. The cause has not yet been determined. No firefighters or Hillandale employees were injured.

According to U.S. News, John Way, Bozrah Volunteer Fire Co. Safety Officer, said the house that caught fire was 300 to 400 feet long and two stories high. Neither the house nor the birds inside it were able to be saved, however, the remaining 13 layer houses were unaffected and operations appeared to continue as normal the following day.

After the event, Hillandale Farms stated: “Our team continues to work closely with the local fire departments and state officials to thoroughly investigate the fire that occurred on Saturday, January 28. We can confirm that one chicken house was lost and that no other buildings were compromised. We are deeply grateful that no employees were hurt in the fire.”

“Although it remains under investigation, we are working with local and state authorities to determine the cause. We appreciate the tremendous response from local fire departments for their swift action and for the continued support from across our industry.”

Consumers are concerned about the impact on egg prices

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is working with Hillandale to further investigate the fire. According to the agency, the expected impact of the fire on egg prices is minimal to zero.

“Compared to the number of chickens nationally, and the number of egg-laying hens nationally, it’s not a lot,” explained Alyssa McDonnell, University of Connecticut research assistant, in response to the fire. “(The number of birds lost is) a lot smaller than the number that was affected by the avian flu outbreak this past year.” 

According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), over 43 million table egg layers were depopulated due to HPAI in 2022. No table egg layer cases have been confirmed so far in 2023.

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