Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the leading fresh egg producer in the U.S., announced on Tuesday the temporary suspension of operations at a Texas plant following the discovery of bird flu in chickens. Concurrently, officials revealed the presence of the virus at a poultry facility in Michigan.

The Ridgeland, Mississippi-headquartered company disclosed that around 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, constituting approximately 3.6% of its overall flock, were culled subsequent to the identification of avian influenza at a site in Parmer County, Texas.

Situated on the Texas-New Mexico border in the Texas Panhandle, roughly 85 miles southwest of Amarillo and 370 miles northwest of Dallas, the affected facility represents a key production hub for Cal-Maine. The company primarily distributes its eggs in the Southwestern, Southeastern, Midwestern, and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

In a released statement, Cal-Maine underscored its ongoing collaboration with federal, state, and local authorities, alongside industry stakeholders, to address the risk of potential future outbreaks and efficiently coordinate response efforts.

“Cal-Maine Foods is working to secure production from other facilities to minimize disruption to its customers,” the statement said.