Bird Flu Could Cause Record Prices for Thanksgiving Staples Like Eggs and Turkey

You might need to increase your budget for Thanksgiving dinner this year. A turkey shortage is causing prices to jump, and not just for the birds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a near-record level of birds has been affected by avian influenza outbreaks this year. The record was set in 2015 when 50.5 million were affected. This year already 50.3 million birds have been affected.

There has been a 73% increase in the price per pound for turkeys this year compared to 2021. The avian flu usually gets worse during cold months, but farmers were reporting cases in July when many birds are raised for the holiday season.

The only way to stop the spread of the virus is to kill entire flocks, which can contain around 15,000 birds. That means millions of turkeys have had to be killed to try to stop the spread of the virus.

The avian flu has also impacted egg-laying chickens. The latest reports from the USDA say the supply of eggs is mostly below average.

"Because of the flu, almost millions of chickens have been slaughtered," said Alan Gin, associate professor of economics at the University of San Diego. "Because of that, the price of eggs and the price of poultry have risen considerably."

The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index shows the price of eggs jumped 43% compared to what they cost this same time in 2021.