US Live Turkey Prices

Prices of other produce in the Livestock category in US: Live Horses, Live Donkeys, Live Mules, Live Cattle, Live Buffalo, Live Pigs, Live Sheep, Live Goats, Live Chicken & Live Ducks.

See prices of live turkey in other countries across North America: Canada live turkey, US live turkey, Anguilla live turkey, Antigua and Barbuda live turkey, Bermuda live turkey, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba live turkey, St.Pierre and Miquelon live turkey, United States Minor Outlying Islands live turkey, Cayman Islands live turkey & Greenland live turkey.

Live Turkey prices fall by 23% in the US

Customers who anticipated Thanksgiving and rushed to poultry farms enjoyed a 23% live turkey per pound reprieve in August, 2023. An American Farm Bureau Federation report showed that post-pandemic prices have fallen in one year to $1.27 a pound at the farm gate.

However, some specialty farms and retailers still sell the domesticated bird at $4.29 a pound.

Turkeys and Thanksgiving

The use of turkey in American Thanksgiving culture lies on its huge size, ease of keeping and tradition. The first time the domesticated bird entered Thanksgiving posterity was in 1621 via New England settlers. This was about 242 years before President Abraham Lincoln would decree Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

The National Turkey Federation states that around 46 million turkeys provide meat each Thanksgiving period, each year.

Popular Turkey breeds in the US, plus prices

There are two broad categories of turkeys that one can find in the US, namely the domesticated turkey and the wild turkey .

Domesticated Turkeys

This category has two key sub-categories: the board-breasted and many others

1. The Broad-breasted White

Current price: US$6.99 per ib for 18-22 pound birds

Perhaps the most common turkey breed in North American homes, the broad-breasted white turkey echoes its name. It is pure white with a big body mass. Its feed-to-meat conversion ratio is quite fast: it reaches the 30-pound weight mark in 20-24 weeks after hatching. A full-grown bird can weigh between 38 and 40 pounds, though some males can reach 45 to 50 pounds.

2. Black Turkey

This turkey breed has a glorious dark plumage with a bright-colored tail. It is a half-caste of wild turkeys that Spanish conquistadors brought to the New World in the 16th c. (Current price: $199.99 per 6-pound black turkey or $33 per pound).

Bourbon Reds: this is among the most popular heritage breeds in the US. It has a tender cast of flesh and weighs an ample 12 to 23 pounds.

3. Standard Bronze

Bronze-coloured and statuesque, this turkey has the distinction of being one of the largest of the heritage breeds, at about 25 pounds.

4. Royal Palm

Quite homely and docile, the Royal Palm has an arresting blend of white and black feathers. Though it is somewhat an ornamental breed, it weighs 10 to 20 ibs.

Wild Turkeys

Wild turkeys in the US fall under the native Meleagris gallopavo species. There are five subspecies including:

1. Eastern Wild Turkey

Current price: $399.99 per 16-20 ib bird or $20 per pound

The Eastern wild turkey has the distinction of being the turkey that the first settlers ate in 1621 at the first Thanksgiving. This subspecies is medium-sized, with hens weighing 10 pounds while toms weigh between 20 and 24 pounds. The birds are omnivorous by habit and eat nuts, acorn grass and fruits, and even insects. A male Eastern turkey has glossy bronze to dark plumage with a fanning tail and a blue forehead finishing with a pink beak. Females differ for their smaller size and less colorful nature.Their place of habitat is the entire eastern United States.

2. Osceola Wild Turkey

This is among the smallest of all wild turkeys and lives mostly in Florida. Named after the famous Seminole leader Osceola, these turkeys are characterized by their unique and vibrant coloration. Adult Osceola toms, or males, exhibit striking iridescent feathers with hues of bronze, green, and copper, while their heads display bright blue and red hues. Hens, or females, are generally smaller and less flamboyantly colored.

3. Rio Grande Wild Turkey

Like the name suggests, it is native to the central plains along the Rio Grande in Texas, North-east Mexico and Kansas. Recognized for its adaptability to diverse habitats, the Rio Grande wild turkey thrives in areas characterized by open woodlands, grasslands, and brushy terrain.

Adults typically exhibit a mix of brown, bronze, and greenish iridescent feathers, with males featuring a distinctive fan-like tail display during courtship rituals. The Rio Grande turkey is an important game species, attracting hunters to its challenging pursuit and contributing to wildlife management programs.

4. Merriam’s Wild Turkey

This wild turkey lives in the north-western states and mountains Wyoming and Montana, as well as south in New Mexico. Its range also extends to Canada.

The Merriam's turkey displays striking white tips on its tail feathers, contrasting with a mix of iridescent bronze and greenish-gold plumage. This subspecies thrives in diverse habitats such as ponderosa pine forests and high-altitude meadows.

5. Gould’s Wild Turkey

This is native to Mexico courtesy of the man named for it, John Gould, who first shipped it here in 1856. Gould's wild turkey is well-adapted to the rugged terrain of its habitat, which includes pine-oak forests and high-altitude mountainous areas.