Avian influenza: Lower Saxony is threatened with a shortage of eggs and meat!

Avian influenza: Lower Saxony is threatened with a shortage of eggs and meat!

The poultry population situation in Germany has recently come under discussion. On October 28, 2025, concerns about the spread of H5N1 avian influenza hit the headlines. The chairman of the Lower Saxony Poultry Industry Association, Friedrich-Otto Ripke, called for nationwide compulsory housing in Lower Saxony. In Lower Saxony alone there are currently 106 million animals, which accounts for almost 62% of the entire German population. Ripke emphasizes the responsibility of animal owners to protect the animals and provide the population with sufficient poultry meat and eggs. Unfortunately, despite all efforts to increase biosecurity through investments in stables and straw storage, the occurrence of epidemics cannot be completely prevented.

What makes the situation urgent? The current course of disease outbreaks is alarming: Since October 1, 2025, 16 confirmed outbreaks have been recorded in Germany, resulting in 241,000 animals having to be killed and disposed of in order to prevent further spread. The federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, Bavaria, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are particularly affected. Ripke suggests, similar to the Netherlands, that a nationwide poultry stable be ordered until the epidemic pressure subsides.

The spread of avian influenza

The epidemic-related challenges not only affect animal husbandry, but also the supply of the population. With current outbreaks, it is critical to monitor affected areas and act quickly to prevent future egg and poultry meat shortages. It is clear that the danger is not just lurking on coasts or waterways, but is spreading ever faster and over larger areas.

Challenge of the modern working world