⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Massive Fire At Top Egg Farm Leaves Estimated 100,000 Hens Dead. What Does This Mean For Egg Prices? Hillandale Farms in Bozrah, Connecticut went up in flames on Saturday in an incident that is still under investigation.

By Emily Rella

entrepreneur daily

This is anything but eggcellent.

A fire at one of the nation's top egg producers broke out over the weekend, leaving an estimated 100,000 hens dead, the Department of Agriculture confirmed.

Hillandale Farms in Bozrah, Connecticut went up in flames on Saturday in an incident that is still under investigation.

A video posted to Twitter that's been viewed more than 5.7 million times shows the facility engulfed in flames and horrifying clouds of smoke as firefighters try to diffuse the situation.

"Our team continues to work closely with the local fire departments and state officials to thoroughly investigate the fire that occurred on Saturday, January 28," Hillandale Farms said in a statement. "We can confirm that one chicken house was lost and that no other buildings were compromised. We are deeply grateful that no employees were hurt in the fire."

Related: 'Are the Chickens On Strike?': Consumers Furious As Egg Prices Skyrocket Over 64% In One Month In Some U.S. States

The coop that caught fire was approximately 50 feet by 600 feet, and the blaze required more than 100 firefighters from 16 area firefighting crews to put out.

"We are still family owned and operated and we still care about the safety and conditions of our birds," the company states on its website. "They get only vegetarian feed, and we've developed many proprietary techniques and technologies to increase their safety and comfort."

The Department of Agriculture also confirmed that the fire will have minimal to no impact on egg prices, something that's been a major point of contention for consumers in the U.S. lately.

Earlier this month, data from the CPI showed that in three U.S. states (Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada) egg prices increased 64% in December 2022 while in three other states (Oregon, California and Washington) prices increased 18%.

Inflation and recent record-level outbreaks of the bird flu seem to be to blame.

Hillandale Farms, which is headquartered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is one of the top five egg producers in the country, raising an estimated 20 million egg-laying chickens.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Franchise

The Top Franchise Brands Growing Globally

While our main Fastest-Growing Franchises list focuses on North American growth, more and more brands are looking to grow worldwide. These are the 25 that had the greatest franchise growth outside the U.S. and Canada from July 2022 to July 2023.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.