The U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly turkey hatchery report on Tuesday showed a significant decline in the number of poults, or young turkeys, placed on feed in May, suggesting supplies of fresh whole birds may tighten this Thanksgiving.
But analysts are at odds about how much the shortfall will impact shoppers planning Thanksgiving Day meals as many of the birds available in stores are slaughtered and frozen long before the November holiday.
The worst-ever U.S. outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has raised concerns about higher turkey prices this holiday season. The outbreak has claimed about 7.8 million turkeys in seven states this year, many of them culled to control the virus' spread.
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