How Has Bird Flu Impacted Turkey Numbers?

So far during this current outbreak of avian influenza, the nation's broiler flocks had been affected far less than during the last big outbreak in 2015.

"But that story's a little bit different if you focus on turkeys," noted USDA  Outlook Board Chairman Mark Jekanowski. While his analysts have upped their forecasts for this year's broiler production, they've had to cut their projections for turkey output, partly due to avian influenza.

"There's been more depopulation going on, including some of the breeder flock and that threatens to tighten supplies quite a bit more."

Production projected down from last year by about 3.5%, that sending prices up to record high levels. They went up 20% just during April, but Jekanowski said for 2023, "we expected there's going to be some rebuilding of the herd, rebuilding of the production and an increase year over year of about 290 million pounds.  And of course that will also weigh on the prices."

Sending turkey prices down about 2.5% from this year's very high prices.

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