As more cases of the bird flu are reported in the state of Iowa, egg and poultry prices continue to rise.
Since the first bird flu case in Iowa was reported in mid-April, the cost of a carton of large eggs has risen from $1.19 to $1.39 a dozen.
Deli chicken meat has also risen ten percent, to $3.37 a pound.
So far, there have been 44 reported cases of the bird flu across the state of Iowa, mostly in the northwest region. The closest reported case to Scott County was in Madison County.
More than 26 million chickens in Iowa have died from the bird flu, which is 41 percent of the state's population.
"Nobody can really put a handle on this," said Rob Schneckloth, a chicken farmer in Davenport. "It's a disaster in the making."
Schneckloth has about 500 chickens on his family farm and sells their eggs to the local stores, like North Scott Foods, Greatest Grains, Heritage Natural Foods, and the Farmer's Market.
"Egg production is a good part of our income," Schneckloth said.
The disease is believed to come from wild fowl, like geese or ducks, but experts aren't sure how it's being spread so rapidly. The USDA is advising farmers to take extra precautions and create a sterile environment for their chickens by sealing them off from all outside contact.
However, that wouldn't work for farmers like Schneckloth who raise free-range chickens.
"They all roam around the farm, it would be tough to do that here," Schneckloth said.
The USDA said there haven't been any reported cases of the bird flu affecting people, so chicken and eggs should be safe to eat.