This Thanksgiving, turkey lovers in the US get a surprise: grocery stores are swallowing higher turkey costs and not passing them to you! The secret spice behind this is the bird flu outbreak sweeping through poultry farms. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports a big jump in wholesale turkey prices, but supermarket tags haven’t budged. Why this turkey drama? Bird flu forced farmers to cull over 2 million turkeys by October. Minnesota, the top turkey producer in the nation, faced six major outbreaks. Adding to the trouble is another nasty virus, avian metapneumovirus, reported David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University: "it reduces the number of viable eggs hens lay," slowing the rebuilding of flocks. The turkey supply is tightening! The USDA expects production to dip from 5.1 million pounds in 2024 to 4.8 million this year. Meanwhile, wholesale prices of frozen turkeys, the favorite for family feasts, soared roughly 80% — from under $1 to over $1.70 per pound. But shoppers see a different story. Retail prices remain flat because stores are bravely absorbing these extra costs. Ortega explains retailers often use turkeys as a "loss leader," selling them at or below cost to attract hungry buyers who then shop for other goodies. What about your whole Thanksgiving meal? Estimates differ wildly — some say meal costs rise nearly 10%, others see a drop up to 5%. One thing is clear: despite the turkey turmoil, your festive table should stay full without emptying your pocket. So go ahead, carve that bird with a smile!