Alabama officials estimate that up to 25% of the poultry houses in the state were destroyed or damaged by Wednesday's devastating tornadoes, likely killing millions of birds.

State government officials in Alabama, the No.3 chicken-producing state behind Arkansas and Georgia, said Thursday that preliminary reports indicate about 200 poultry houses were destroyed and another 180 were damaged by the fierce storms.

Alabama agricultural officials are having a difficult time gauging the damage because many rural roads were impassable Thursday. Likewise, electricity is out and telephone systems are down in many areas.

"We do anticipate the number of poultry mortalities to be substantial, and we are currently working with poultry companies, along with their growers, to determine all damages," said Dr. Tony Frazier, Alabama's State Veterinarian. Chicken farming is a multibillion-dollar industry in Alabama, where a typical poultry house contains about 20,000 birds.

The Alabama Poultry and Egg Association is estimating that 5 million chickens probably died in the tornadoes, which slammed the northern part of the state, where the industry is centered. That alone isn't enough to disrupt chicken supplies nationally. The state usually produces about 21.5 million chickens in a week. The U.S. produces roughly 9 billion chickens annually.