Southwest Egg Supply Shaken as Major Producer Shuts Down
Hickman’s Family Farms, the largest egg producer in the Southwest, is grappling with a devastating crisis that has forced a partial shutdown of its operations. The farm, based in Arizona, has lost around 6 million chickens, 95 percent of its flock, forcing layoffs and halting its longstanding inmate rehabilitation program.
“Our hens began showing symptoms on May 15 and were confirmed the next day,” CEO Glenn Hickman said at a recent news conference. Despite containment efforts, the issue spread across all of the farm’s west-side facilities. Hickman noted that the company has ordered baby chicks and expects to house its first new hens in about five months, but full recovery will likely take two years, Newsweek reported.
Founded in 1944, Hickman’s Family Farms operates several facilities in Arizona and Colorado and is ranked among the top 20 egg producers in the country. The partial shutdown will impact not only the regional egg supply but also thousands of workers, including those participating in the farm’s inmate rehabilitation initiative.
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The crisis has rippled across an already fragile food supply chain. Food economics experts warn that the shutdown of a key egg supplier in the Southwest could drive up egg prices and increase regional shortages, adding pressure to an industry already under strain. “This is a very unfortunate situation and a stark reminder of how vulnerable our food system remains,” said David Ortega, a professor of food economics and policy at Michigan State University.
Hickman has called for faster access to solutions that could help stabilize operations, including the rollout of a poultry vaccine. However, competing industry interests and regulatory hurdles are slowing progress.
For now, Hickman’s Family Farms faces a long road to recovery. Whether the company and the broader egg industry can bounce back will depend on how quickly biosecurity measures and supply chain reinforcements can be implemented in the months ahead.