'Devastating' avian flu stokes Christmas turkey troubles

A Thanksgiving dinner is pictured on Oct. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Bree Fowler) 

It might be a little bit harder to find a Christmas turkey this year, and if you do manage to snag one, it might put a bigger hole in your wallet than usual.

There are a few main reasons: turkeys are smaller and more expensive, changing consumer tastes, and an outbreak of avian flu affecting the country’s poultry stock.

The disease has destroyed flocks across the country, says Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of the Dalhousie Agri-food Analytics Lab.

“We’ve seen over 200 farms being impacted by the avian flu over the last seven, eight months. We’ve had to cull over 4 million birds,” said Charlebois. “That’s just devastating.”

Charlebois said some parts of the country are facing turkey prices near $5 a pound.

He said buying habits have been shifting as well, accelerated by the pandemic, so farmers are changing their growth strategies.

“I actually think that the poultry industry in Canada has adjusted quite well to our new social normal,” said Charlebois. “Smaller gatherings, smaller families.”

And that means the big Christmas turkey isn’t the centrepiece of the meal it used to be.

“We are not planning to have a turkey, but that’s because my kids are all vegetarian,” said Wendy McNaughton.

And for some, childhood memories of a colossal, dry bird have put them off Turkey altogether.

“You know what? I was always planning to have roast beef,” said Jodi Marron. “I don’t like turkey.”

Farmers are now focused on producing smaller birds, which are easier to cook without drying out.

If you’re struggling to decide on the main course, Charlebois suggests ham instead, because a strong supply has pushed down prices for pork.

“Right now, if you opt for a ham instead of a turkey, you’ll probably pay half the price per pound,” said Charlebois.

So, if you eat pork, that might be the best bang for your buck. Though some are waiting closer to the date, hoping to snag a turkey in a last-minute sale.