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Brace Yourself for a Thanksgiving Turkey Shortage
New York Magazine ^ | June 18, 2015 | Clint Rainey

Posted on 06/18/2015 3:56:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Bird flu has made the three-egg omelette a luxury item in parts of America, but the other fowl bearing the brunt of the highly pathogenic virus's outbreak is the poor turkey, whose flocks have been culled by 7.8 million so far. The USDA is now recognizing that this could have bad consequences in, say, five months, when a certain holiday occurs on the third Thursday of November.

The federal agency's latest monthly hatchery report is a bit ominous: Reuters notes that it reports a "significant decline" in the May count for baby turkeys, or poults. That number (22.3 million) is 8 percent lower than it was last May. Turkeys born in May or June will be the right age for slaughter in time for Thanksgiving, so these two months are critical. Analysts can't agree on just how bad the news is, but at least one expert tells Reuters that it's clear that, at the very least, "big, whole birds for Thanksgiving are going to be extremely hard to come by." Looks like it could finally be Tofurkey's year.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: avianflu; foodsupply; poultry; turkey
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1 posted on 06/18/2015 3:56:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
Turkeys are made in labs and not wild. Just artificially inseminate more.
2 posted on 06/18/2015 3:58:40 PM PDT by Fledermaus (NO RINO 2016 or I stay home. Shove it FR RINO lovers.)
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To: nickcarraway

Left out of the headline, “and sky high prices”


3 posted on 06/18/2015 4:01:48 PM PDT by upchuck (Downsizing and decentralizing government is something the Republican establishment just wonÂ’t allow)
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To: nickcarraway
In NJ there's plenty of wild turkey.
Of course they'll be tougher...
4 posted on 06/18/2015 4:02:25 PM PDT by novemberslady
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To: nickcarraway

So buy early and don’t wait for a sale.


5 posted on 06/18/2015 4:03:42 PM PDT by BlackAdderess ("Give me a but a firm spot on which to stand, and I shall move the earth". --Archimedes)
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To: nickcarraway

Well....this year we’ll have duck! Yummmmm...


6 posted on 06/18/2015 4:05:57 PM PDT by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo....Sum Pro Vita - Modified Descartes)
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To: nickcarraway

I have ham anyway.

Turkeys UNITE!!


7 posted on 06/18/2015 4:06:12 PM PDT by TomServo
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To: nickcarraway
pork the other white meat photo: Ham after smoking on DB WP_000193.jpg

Be thankful, eat pork!

8 posted on 06/18/2015 4:06:45 PM PDT by dragonblustar (Philippians 2:10)
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To: upchuck
Most years you could get a turkey virtually for free as a loss leader to get you into particular stores to buy all the fixins at inflated prices.

So now for the first time in memory they are going to make us pay for the turkey?

Outrageous!

9 posted on 06/18/2015 4:07:57 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: nickcarraway
Bird flu has made the three-egg omelette a luxury item in parts of America

I don't know where this guy shops, but my eggs are still pretty cheap. One of the best protein values in the grocery store.

10 posted on 06/18/2015 4:19:15 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: nickcarraway

11 posted on 06/18/2015 4:21:37 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (I'll vote for Jeb when Terri Schiavo endorses him.)
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To: novemberslady

Wild turkeys are so different in almost every way that they’re not really the same bird at all.

When I worked as a chef, my boss shot a few and brought them in for us to prepare.

Good lord, those were some of the stinkiest animals I ever had the displeasure to turn into food, though they did eventually make for a pretty good ravioli with plenty of fresh sage and brown butter sauce.


12 posted on 06/18/2015 4:28:32 PM PDT by arbitrary.squid
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To: nickcarraway

SPAM - baked with brown sugar coating. Yummie.


13 posted on 06/18/2015 4:33:02 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( I Was Told Nobody Is Perfect But Yet, Here I Am ...)
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To: arbitrary.squid
Wild turkeys are so different in almost every way that they’re not really the same bird at all

Luckily for them (& me) I'd prefer almost anything else.

Though I get tempted when they eat all the grapes out back.
14 posted on 06/18/2015 5:00:06 PM PDT by novemberslady
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To: nickcarraway

Third Thursday? I think not.


15 posted on 06/18/2015 5:01:10 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in Battle!)
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To: nickcarraway

3rd Thursday?....that should read 4th Thursday in November...


16 posted on 06/18/2015 5:07:41 PM PDT by RagWeed_Intl
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To: novemberslady

The ones eating grapes probably taste a lot better than the ones eating creosote or whatever it was that these bastards ate.


17 posted on 06/18/2015 5:07:46 PM PDT by arbitrary.squid
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To: nickcarraway

I’ve got more than I know what to do with in my back fields. They taste alright, and they eat ticks.


18 posted on 06/18/2015 5:09:22 PM PDT by Sirius Lee (All that is required for evil to advance is for government to do "something")
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To: nickcarraway

Mysteriously there will be enough turkeys for everyone, they’ll just cost 5 bucks a pound...


19 posted on 06/18/2015 5:46:56 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: nickcarraway

The latest report from the USDA stated ending April whole turkey stocks at 200 million pounds, which was a bit above both year-ago and 10-year average levels. Stocks tend to peak around 309 million in late August. I’m not looking for a big shortage. Also, ham stocks are large and hog and pork production look like they’re going to average at least 10% over year-ago levels during the second half. It looks there are going to be lots and lots of cheap wholesale hams around by year-end. The trick is to get the &*()*#$ grocery stores to actually pass the lower cost on to consumers.


20 posted on 06/18/2015 6:23:11 PM PDT by McGarrett (Book'em Danno)
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