IONIA, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Roughly 400 workers at five Ionia County farms are out of a job as Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch implemented a mass layoff amid avian flu that forced the killing of millions of chickens.

The company notified Michigan’s Department of Labor that avian flu hit the farms’ hen population, so workers at farms in Saranac and Lake Odessa will be out of work. The positions range from accounting and processing to marketing and fertilizing.

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Nearby neighbors complained to Fox 17 about a “massive stench” because of the killings.

The company said it expects many of the job cuts to be temporary, and once hen and egg production increase and they plan to rehire many workers.

Herbruck’s, which describes itself as Michigan’s largest egg producer, released a statement:

“In the face of ongoing efforts to address the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza alongside state and federal regulators, Herbruck’s has reached the difficult decision to conduct layoffs at the affected facilities where work is not available. We expect this to largely be temporary, as we plan to rehire many positions as we work to repopulate our facilities and continue egg production as safely and quickly as possible. We understand this is a stressful situation for our team members, and we are working with our state partners to provide them with resources, answer questions and assist in their individual family situations.”

As the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) continues to pose a threat, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced it is issuing an emergency order to protect livestock.

In related news, HPAI has been detected in dairy herds in nearby Gratiot and Isabella counties.