EAST MOLINE, Ill. — The counter at Cattlemen's Meat Market is well stocked, but it's not without some added effort to get it that way.
Owner Dan Haskins explained they have all the different chicken options you could want ranging from whole fresh chickens, to boneless or skinless chicken breasts and wings.
Haskins said two of his main chicken suppliers are from Iowa and Minnesota.
"My guy in Iowa, we talk weekly and I put in my chicken order. And he says, 'Well I looked through and he says I can't find any right now due to the flu,'" Haskins said. "I talk to my Minnesota guy, he goes. 'It's a pre-order item now because of the flu.'"
According to the CDC, Avian Flu in poultry flocks has now been detected in 23 states with more than 22 million birds affected. Nearly 60% of those birds come from Iowa.
Haskins now warning a price hike is here and most likely only going to get worse.
"It's going to affect your pocketbook. Chicken isn't a cheap meal anymore like it used to be. And all the chicken byproducts: eggs, your chicken strips, chicken nuggets, all that," Haskins said. "It's all going to hit the roof."
Haskins said he's seen about a 20 cent to 30 cent price increase per pound from his suppliers. That increase is seen reflected in his prices. In the last week of March, the price of a whole chicken was $2.49 a pound. The first week in April, it's up to $2.79.
"If it goes up 10 cents a pound then I have to raise my price 10 cents, right? I can't absorb it. I have to keep the doors open. And I think most people understand," Haskins said.
He anticipates that price continuing to climb for the time being, with whole chickens rising to over three dollars a pound.
He attributes it not just to the Avian Flu, but to the pandemic, supply shortages that already existed and supply chain issues.
"There's not a whole lot I can do. It's just a perfect storm right now for inflation. It's ugly right now," Haskins said.
He thinks it will stick around long enough to still be making an impact as the holidays roll around.
"I talked to my supplier this morning and he said it's going to be a while. I mean, it's going to affect turkeys. It could affect turkeys for next Thanksgiving," Haskins said.
Over 13 million birds have been destroyed in the state of Iowa due to the flu. So far, Illinois has just seen a couple of outbreaks.
The CDC reminds people that humans are at low risk of the Avian Flu.