Tragic Milestone: Over 100 Million Birds Killed Due To Avian Flu Outbreaks In The U.S., Most Via Ventilation Shutdown

(August 15, 2024 — New York, NY) — The Humane League, a nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food, announces a tragic milestone in the ongoing Avian Influenza crisis in the United States. Over 100 million birds have been purposely killed (culled) due to the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on farms since February 2022. Over 77 million of these birds were hens in the egg industry housed in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) so large that a single contaminated farm regularly results in over one million birds being killed.

The most prevalent method of culling is a method known as Ventilation Shutdown (VSD). This cruel practice causes immense suffering to animals. VSD and its variant, Ventilation Shutdown Plus (VSD+), involve sealing off ventilation systems and raising the temperature in barns until animals die from heatstroke or suffocation. This process can take hours, leading to prolonged suffering. Despite being initially intended only for severe disease outbreaks, VSD is now being misused as a cost-saving measure, causing unnecessary agony for millions of animals.

“The mass killing of animals through VSD is nothing short of torture,” said Dayne Alexander, Senior Corporate Research Lead at The Humane League. “Corporate agriculture, already fraught with ethical issues, makes billions in profits off these animals but treats them as mere commodities to be disposed of without regard for their suffering.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) guidelines recommend VSD+ only as a last resort, emphasizing the need for facilities capable of ensuring a 95% death rate within one hour. However, achieving this standard is unrealistic in most barns, resulting in prolonged suffering. Research indicates that chickens can endure up to 3.75 hours of agony and pigs can remain alive for up to 16 hours after VSD.

Financial incentives from the Department of Agriculture further drive these inhumane practices. Last year, the department paid poultry producers over half a billion dollars for birds killed after avian flu H5N1 was detected on their farms, without requiring humane methods. Among the biggest recipients were two companies reporting billions in profits: Jennie-O Turkey Store, which received over 88 million dollars, and Tyson Foods, which received nearly 30 million dollars.

The Humane League calls on federal and state agricultural officials to prioritize the humane treatment of animals, halt the use of VSD and VSD+ immediately, and adopt more humane killing methods, such as those listed in the AVMA's Euthanasia guidelines.