Iowa egg production drops in May

Iowa retained its tops in the nation ranking for egg production in May, but the avian influenza outbreak exacted a significant toll on the state's poultry industry.

The state's egg production during May 2015 was 1.02 billion eggs, down 21 percent or 1.3 billion from last month, and down 27.8 percent from last year, according to the latest chickens and eggs report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The average number of all Iowa layers on hand during May 2015 was 44.2 million, down 27 percent from 56.1 million in April, and down 34.5 percent from 59.2 million in May 2014. Eggs per 100 layers for May were 2,325, up 0.26 percent from 2,319 in April, but down 0.13 percent from May 2015.

Avian influenza has sharply reduced the number of Iowa flocks over the last couple of months. Seventy-five cases have been detected in the state, with 31,723,300 birds affected.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lowered its forecast for table egg production this year to 6.9 billion dozen, a 5.3 percent drop from 2014, due to the crisis.

Although prices for a dozen of eggs are falling after peaking in late May, officials say it could take up to two years to return to normal production.

Iowa has long been the leading egg producing state, trailed at a distance by Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylania.