Corwin was forced to lay off 48 workers but kept 20 to help with the clean up. He said the company was successful in salvaging many of the 10,000 eggs that he hopes could represent the future of Crescent, which has developed a unique genetic strain of duck over generations.

It’s a fowl day on the East End. An outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has struck Long Island’s last remaining duck farm and forced the operators to put down 99,000 birds, according to reports. Farm’s operator Doug Corwin broke down in tears as he said that the disease has been the worst disaster to hit the location since it opened in 1908.