Let's Talk Turkeys: Preparing for Thanksgiving 2022

Avian flu outbreaks have affected domestic chicken and duck flocks this year, and as we enter fall with Thanksgiving on the horizon, we're keeping a close eye on turkeys. Our Director of Protein Merchandising, Kevin Lindgren, and his team have been working closely with our amazing turkey farmers all year to help ensure Thanksgiving goes as smoothly as possible, however with the situation continuously developing, we wanted to inform you early so that you can plan ahead for a successful holiday.

Avian flu most commonly spreads to commercial poultry flocks either from infected wild birds migrating past a farm or from being tracked in on shoes or tires. While poultry farmers are taking important steps to avoid contamination, migrating birds are the wildcard that have affected turkey flocks in the past. In years with similar rates of infection, we've seen the Avian flu impact Thanksgiving turkeys enough to drive the cost up 15-20%.

However, Kevin and his team are on it. "In addition to placing our orders in January,” says Kevin, “Baldor’s mitigating the potential problem by diversifying our supply and ordering multiple turkeys from multiple places, so that if there is an outbreak in a region, we have other options. Additionally, for the first time, we’ll be offering high-quality frozen turkeys from Joyce Farms to round out our selection."

While we're doing everything we can to ensure we have enough turkeys to meet your needs, "Be sure to place your orders as early as possible," Kevin suggests. You can begin placing your orders through our website on October 24, 2022, however if you know you'll be needing a large quantity of turkeys, we recommend you reach out to your sales representative by phone or email as soon as possible so that we can assist you.

This year, we're sourcing our fresh turkeys from Joyce Farms in North Carolina, Koch's Family Farm in Pennsylvania, and La Belle Farm in Ferndale, New York.

We're expecting our first arrivals for fresh turkeys on November 7, in time for corporate events, team Thanksgivings, and Friendsgiving celebrations. Because the turkeys are deep chilled they arrive with a  "shell" that ensures that even the first arrivals will still be fresh through Thanksgiving. Frozen turkeys from Joyce Farms are expected to arrive mid-to-late October. 

Have any questions or want to place an order early? We're here to help! You can reach our Customer Service team here.