This year's Thanksgiving turkey dinner will cost considerably more, as an intensifying bird flu outbreak threatens poultry populations and turkey availability nationwide.

Estimates, including one from Bernt Nelson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation who spoke to The New York Times , suggest turkey prices may surge 40%. A report by Purdue's College of Agriculture shows wholesale turkey prices at $1.71 per pound, up a staggering 75% from Oct. 2024.

Industry watchdog Farm Forward provided CNET with data illustrating the severity of the situation. Around 3 million turkeys have perished from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or HPAI, so far this year. That figure already exceeds the total bird flu fatalities in 2024 (1.25 million), although it remains well below

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