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Farmers Must Kill 4.2 Million Chickens After Bird Flu Hits Iowa Egg Farm

More than 4 million chickens in Iowa will have to be killed after a case of the highly pathogenic bird flu was detected at a large egg farm, the state announced Tuesday.

Crews are in the process of killing 4.2 million chickens after the disease was found at a farm in Sioux County, Iowa, making it the latest in a yearslong outbreak that now is affecting dairy cattle as well. Last week, the virus was confirmed at an egg farm west of Minneapolis, leading to the slaughter of nearly 1.4 million chickens.

Overall, 92.34 million birds have been killed since the outbreak began in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Although bird flu has become somewhat common among poultry, its spread to cattle has added to worries about the disease. In May, a second dairy farmworker was diagnosed with bird flu, and the virus was detected in both beef and milk. It has been confirmed on dairy cattle farms in nine states.

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EveryPig: AI, Collaboration & Data Integration Shaping Swine Production | Brian Doyle | WPX 2026

Video: EveryPig: AI, Collaboration & Data Integration Shaping Swine Production | Brian Doyle | WPX 2026

What are the biggest technology trends emerging at the 2026 World Pork Expo?

Brian Doyle of EveryPig shares his early observations from the show floor, highlighting strong attendance, increased collaboration between technology providers, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in modern pork production.

Doyle discusses how better data integration between systems can create a single source of truth for producers, while AI-powered tools and intelligent agents help automate routine tasks, analyze large volumes of production data, and turn information into actionable insights that improve decision-making.

Topics Covered:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pork production

Data integration and interoperability

Technology collaboration

Digital farm management

Automation and intelligent agents

World Pork Expo 2026

Recorded at the 2026 World Pork Expo.