Raising Turkeys: A Comprehensive Guide to Costs, Breeds, and Considerations

Turkeys gather inside a trailer at Windy N Ranch outside of Ellensburg on Nov. 19, 2022. The farm raised 135 heritage turkeys this season, which it sold to customers directly from all over the state and beyond. These clients are willing to pay a premium for birds that are raised sustainably and organically. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

In July, the U. S. Department of Agriculture released some bad news: An avian flu outbreak had stricken the poultry sector, including turkeys.

There was one ray of hope in the report, though: “By the fourth quarter, which includes Thanksgiving, USDA projects turkey production to rebound close to previous year levels.” ” .

After all, the USDA was correct: about eight months ago, Hank’s Harvest Foods placed a preorder for hundreds of turkeys, and they have been arriving on schedule ever since. There was a wide assortment for customers to choose from at the independent grocery store in Twisp, weighing between 12 and 26 pounds.

Even though Washington State also saw an outbreak of avian flu, most people should be able to enjoy the popular Thanksgiving bird for their holiday dinners. But, it will still be more expensive than in previous years due to rising costs for feed and fuel, two essentials for growing turkeys.

All documented cases of avian flu have originated from small to medium backyard flocks, according to data from the state Department of Agriculture. The flu hasn’t stricken small turkey producers in Washington, such as Windy N Ranch in Ellensburg.

The turkey farmer raises heritage breeds and certifies them as organic, and it sells them directly to customers in the state and even in Idaho. Many drive to the ranch to pick up their bird of choice.

In November, Bradley Newhall and his 9-year-old daughter Lenora peer inside a trailer that holds heritage turkeys at Windy N Ranch outside of Ellensburg. 19, 2022. The turkeys will stay in the trailer until they are processed for customers the following day. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

Left: 135 Newhall heritage-breed turkeys are raised primarily outdoors under this netting at Windy N Ranch, outside of Ellensburg, before being prepared for Thanksgiving dinner for patrons. Some of the enclosure collapsed in a recent windstorm. Right: Heritage turkeys spend the night in a trailer before being processed for customers the following day. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

According to the most recent American Farm Bureau Foundation survey, Americans will, on average, spend more on Thanksgiving dinner this year.

The federation anticipated that Americans would pay $64. $55, which is more than the $53.1 average from 2020 to 2021 for a Thanksgiving dinner that serves 10,000 people 31.

The survey notes that the bird flu outbreak may cause temporary shortages in some regions of the U. S. , but not to the extent that many shoppers would be unable to locate and buy a turkey.

However, the report notes that grocery stores typically sell the birds in the days leading up to Thanksgiving at “sharply lower prices,” so consumers should feel some financial relief. Retailers usually try to get customers to spend their money somewhere else by accepting little to no profit on a bird.

QFC, the Puget Sound grocery chain owned by Kroger Inc. , is offering turkey for 99 cents a pound with a $25 purchase. Additionally, the store sells a “zero-compromise guide” that outlines how to make a Thanksgiving dinner for ten people for $50 or $5 per person.

“We do not anticipate any issues providing customers with the turkeys they are looking for at a competitive price,” said Tiffany Sanders, a spokesperson for QFC. ” .

Heritage turkeys are typically smaller than supermarket Butterballs, but because of their better flavor and sustainability, more customers are selecting these locally sourced options. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

Over in Twisp, Hank’s Harvest Foods priced its turkeys at $1. 59 per pound, the same as the previous year, despite a rise in the wholesale price, as stated by Konrad, the longtime owner of the grocery store.

“We’re definitely not making any money,” he said. “It’s just something stores do. Everybody tries to be aggressive on price. ”.

The average price nationwide for a frozen turkey was $0. 99 per pound as of Friday when the latest USDA turkey retail report was released. The report notes that 86% of retailers offered promotional prices. Still, even with promotional prices, it’s above the $0. 93 per pound average during the same period a year ago.

Situated on a bluff outside of Ellensburg, Nov. , Windy N Ranch is a small farm that raises cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and other animals. 19, 2022. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

Alternatives to grocery-store turkey

While most will turn to grocery stores for their birds, others opt for birds grown in-state. Here, turkey growers are small operations rather than the large producers that supply grocery stores.

Some sell directly to consumers, while others work with suppliers specializing in locally and regionally produced items.

According to Sean So, president and co-owner of Preservation Meat Collective, a supplier based in Seattle, the company paid about 2300 percent more for the approximately 750 turkeys it bought from small producers throughout the state.

said that merchants and restaurants who purchase turkeys from his company would eventually pass on higher costs to customers.

Customers who buy these turkeys, though, are accustomed to paying significantly more—between $7 and $14 per pound.

For these consumers, what matters more than the turkey’s price is whether it comes from a sustainable farm and, above all, whether it tastes better for their meals.

These small regional growers focus on heritage-breed turkeys—ones indigenous to wild flocks from North America. Smaller turkeys from these breeds usually consume more dark meat, says Windy N Ranch owner Newhall.

The 135 turkeys Windy N Ranch produce are all heritage breeds, which mate naturally.

Such turkeys cost more, about $14 a pound. But some people are willing to pay more for locally produced turkey, Newhall said. Customers place orders as far as a year in advance, and the ranch sells out.

“That’s our niche as a small farm,” he said.

Bradley Newhall, the son of farm owner Greg Newhall, at Windy N Ranch, cuddles up to his Great Pyrenees, Otto, beside a trailer that holds live turkeys that will be processed on the property the following day. The small farm, just outside of Ellensburg, mainly sells directly to individual customers across the state. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

Heritage breeds aren’t for everyone, however. According to Preservation Meat Collective, some consumers continue to request larger turkeys with more white meat.

Thus, the supplier focuses on heritage-breed turkeys that are raised with sustainable methods, such as free-range farming or diets free of grains and soy.

Another challenge this year was that some of the growers the collective had previously worked with were unable to supply turkeys due to a shortage of WSDA-licensed meat processors. As a result, Preservation Meat Collective procured about half as many turkeys as a year ago.

But for So, meeting consumer demands to have a bird produced locally, or at the very least regionally, is more important than maintaining a certain volume. “If I don’t get Washington turkey, I don’t have turkey to sell,” he said.

The supplier maintains other high standards that add to the cost of its turkeys. One is that over the past few days, Preservation Meat Collective has been providing turkeys to butcher shops and restaurants; these turkeys were processed within the last week.

That goes beyond what the USDA defines as fresh, which includes any turkey that has never been chilled below 26 degrees Fahrenheit, even if it is being kept in cold storage. The USDA does not place an expiration date on fresh turkeys that meet its regular safety requirements.

“We operate at a high-level transparency, making sure customers understand what they are getting,” So said.

A turkey feather casts a shadow in the afternoon sun at Windy N Ranch outside of Ellensburg, Nov. 19, 2022. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

The USDA’s earlier-year declaration of an avian flu outbreak has not affected most small-scale Washington turkey farmers. (Genna Martin/Crosscut).

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The COST of Raising Your Own Thanksgiving Turkey

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