Overview
- Spain’s nationwide order now keeps outdoor and free-range birds indoors, a move that covers about 10% of laying hens and roughly 3% of meat chickens.
- Egg prices have risen 15.9% since January, according to INE, and chicken is about 7.5% more expensive since May as consumer groups pledge close monitoring of retail pricing.
- Industry bodies say availability of eggs and chicken remains assured, though affected farms report higher costs and operational changes under stricter biosecurity.
- Nearly 3 million birds have been culled this year and authorities continue surveillance, with Castilla y León reporting about a month without new outbreak foci.
- Health experts judge the risk of sustained human transmission to be low and confirm properly cooked products are safe, while some farmers warn confinement stress could cut output on outdoor systems by 20%–30%.