Bird flu strikes 25% of Iowa's 60 million hens...DO you think chicken prices will increase?

Bird flu continues to run rampant through Iowa's poultry industry, with more than 15 million chickens and turkeys now expected to be destroyed at 17 commercial operations in northwest Iowa.
Rembrandt Foods, one of the nation's largest egg suppliers, acknowledged Thursday that its 5.5 million-hen egg-laying facility in Buena Vista County is believed to be infected with avian influenza. If confirmed, it would be the nation's single largest bird flu outbreak.
The deadly virus is taking a toll on the state's economy as well. Iowa's egg-laying facilities stand to lose about $390 million in production, Dermot Hayes, an Iowa State University economist, estimated Thursday.
Iowa, the nation's largest egg producer, faces losing about 25 percent of the state's 60 million hens. Nationally, that represents about 5 percent of the total hen population, Hayes said.
Bill Northey, Iowa's secretary of agriculture, said it's clear the industry will be affected.
"These farms are getting hit hard," he said, adding that a federal indemnity program will help cover some of the losses. "They're going to be significant."
MORE: What you need to know about bird flu

Iowa has about 60 state employees working to quarantine commercial and domestic backyard flocks and test birds within 6.2 miles of infected operations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also has teams in Iowa working with facilities on how best to depopulate and dispose of infected birds.
Puzzling spread of virus
The agency also is working to determine how the disease is being spread, despite intense biosecurity efforts.
Northey continues to consider calling in the Iowa National Guard, his office said. But the Spirit Lake area farmer said the state is pouring resources into the effort to battle and contain the disease.
The virus is believed to be spread by migratory birds such as ducks and geese that leave their droppings on farms. Some have speculated that farm workers are unknowingly transporting bird flu, or it is spreading on dust or bird feathers blown by the wind.
Northey said state and federal officials face "a heck of a challenge" to euthanize and dispose of the birds. The virus can kill flocks within 48 hours.
"Sometimes, the birds are dying before workers can get there. So it can cause some issues with odors and flies," he said. "Workers are moving as fast as they can. ... They're trying to minimize the impact."
State Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, said he's gotten calls this week from neighbors around Sunrise Farms, an Osceola County farm infected last week. The facility houses 3.8 million laying hens.
"Neighbors are seeing a marked increase in flies and smell," he said.
Johnson said state officials told him that a contractor would fly and spray pesticides over the facility to kill the flies.
State and federal officials have said many of the infected operations will compost the infected birds, but facilities also could landfill, incinerate or send birds to a rendering plant.
The birds are euthanized using carbon dioxide or applying foam, similar to what is used to suppress a fire. Both processes quickly suffocate the birds, officials say.