2025 Decline in Farm-Raised Turkeys: Causes, Impact, and Outlook

Farm-raised turkey populations fell in 2025, continuing a decades-long decline. Explore causes, industry impacts, and what turkey farmers and consumers face.

The population of farm-raised turkeys fell in 2025, extending a decades-long trend of shrinking flocks across the United States and other major producing countries. This continuing decline in turkey production reflects shifting consumer preferences, economic pressures on turkey farmers, and ongoing industry challenges.

Multiple factors are contributing to the turkey population decline. Consumer demand for traditional poultry has been affected by the rise of plant-based alternatives and flexitarian diets, while concerns about health, sustainability, and animal welfare influence purchasing decisions. Disease outbreaks such as avian influenza have also disrupted production cycles and led to flock reductions. In addition, higher input costs—feed, energy, and transportation—plus regulatory and labor pressures have accelerated consolidation, leaving fewer but larger operations managing smaller total numbers of birds.

The drop in farm-raised turkeys has clear implications for the poultry industry and consumers. Seasonal demand spikes around holidays like Thanksgiving make supply fluctuations particularly visible: fewer birds can lead to price volatility and less regional availability of fresh turkeys. Small and mid-sized turkey farmers face the hardest impact, often lacking the scale or capital to absorb losses or invest in biosecurity and modernization. Loss of genetic diversity and regional breeds is another concern when production narrows to a handful of commercial lines.

How the market responds will shape the next decade of turkey production. Some producers are diversifying—focusing on heritage breeds, niche markets, organic or free-range labels, and value-added products—to meet changing consumer tastes. Others are investing in stronger biosecurity, automation, and supply-chain efficiencies to cut costs. Retailers and foodservice companies adapting menus with turkey alternatives or offering smaller portioned roasts also reflect shifting consumption patterns.

For consumers, understanding these poultry industry trends can inform choices at the grocery store and holiday table. Purchasing directly from local farmers, trying heritage or sustainably raised turkeys, or exploring alternative proteins are all options. For turkey farmers, innovation, niche marketing, and collaboration with processors and retailers offer paths to resilience.

The 2025 downturn in farm-raised turkeys is both a continuation of a long-term trend and a signal that the poultry sector must adapt. By addressing disease risk, production costs, and evolving consumer demand, the industry can work toward a more sustainable and diversified future for turkey production.

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