Seven hens in Des Moines have been laying a colorful array of brown, white and green eggs. Backyard hen operations have surged in a number of states, including Iowa, as people want to know where the eggs come from. Owners of the hens claimed that their backyard eggs are richer in nutrients and also taste better than the commercial counterparts.

But the earlier bird flu outbreak in the country especially across the Midwest and concern has been growing that such operations could be at risk of contracting the deadly virus.

Tanya Keith of Des Moines, also a bird owner, said that she has been closely watching her birds, which she had bought about three years ago with her husband, Doug Jotzke. According to her, she has been keeping an eye on the birds to ensure that they act normally, but otherwise the recent outbreak has not caused her to take many precautions.

Keith said, “With a new kid in the house, we have bigger fish to fry than bird flu. If I heard that bird flu was rampant in backyard chickens I might become more cautious, but I don't feel like it's at my doorstep right this second”.

On Thursday, the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service revealed that there are about 160 cases of the bird flu virus have been found in about 15 states. According to the agency, it has seen estimated 16 of the cases.

The outbreak has been particularly damaging in Iowa, where about 52 cases have been identified by the researchers which forced the destruction of about 26 million birds. Commercial flocks have accounted for about two of those cases.