There’s a Thanksgiving Turkey Shortage

You might need to emotionally prepare yourself for a Thanksgiving CHICKEN this year, or maybe a nice vegetarian nut loaf instead.

There’s a big Thanksgiving turkey shortage, and they could cost twice as much as last year.  Here are the main reasons it’s happening . . .

1.  Turkey prices crashed in 2019, and a lot of farmers stopped raising so many.  Then the pandemic piled onto that, so it’s still causing a shortage.

2.  Inflation is making turkeys more expensive.  Feed, fuel, and labor all cost more than they did a year ago.  Workers are also hard to come by.  And droughts across the U.S. aren’t helping either.

3.  The avian flu is worse than usual.  Around 3.6% of America’s turkeys have died of it this year.  That might not sound high, but it’s over seven million birds.

Experts think most people who want a turkey should still be able to get them.  But you might have to settle for one that’s bigger or smaller than your ideal size.

So it might be a good idea to buy your turkey early, and make room in your freezer to store it for a few weeks.

(NY Times / CBS News)