Bird flu hurting U.S. chicken firms
Chicago Tribune
May 2, 2006

Avian influenza, the deadly virus sweeping Asia, Africa and parts of Europe, now is hurting the bottom line of three of America's largest chicken producers.

Tyson Foods Inc., the nation's largest producer of chickens, on Monday reported its largest quarterly loss in more than a decade as concerns about avian flu and mad cow diseases hurt exports. The company reported it lost $127 million, or 37 cents per share, in the first quarter compared with a net profit of $76 million, or 21 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.

The nation's two other large chicken producers, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. of Pittsburgh, Texas, and Gold Kist Inc. of Atlanta are also expected to report huge losses later this week. Pilgrim's Pride and Gold Kist are each expected to report losses of as much as 32 cents, according to Thomson Financial.