Turkey Prices Are Expected to Jump Due to Worsening Bird Flu. Here's What We Know

Your Thanksgiving turkey dinner will have a significantly higher price tag this year, as a worsening bird flu epidemic threatens US flocks and turkey supplies.

CNET received data from industry watchdog Farm Forward that reveals the scale of the crisis. Approximately 3 million turkeys have died due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, so far this year. That's already more than double the total bird flu deaths in 2024 (1.25 million), but still far less than the furious 2022 epidemic that killed over 9 million.

According to government data, this loss -- representing roughly 1.45% of the total US turkey flock -- is driving wholesale turkey prices up more than 26% from last year. Other projections, including from Bernt Nelson, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Feder