It is the night before one of the most beloved American traditions, giving thanks, and most likely eating turkey.

How much will that bird and all the holiday trimmings cost this year?

PBS NewsHour Digital, producer Tim McPhillips, recently spoke to a food economist to break it down.

Inflation, tariffs, bird flu.

Will you be crying foul over the cost of your Thanksgiving feast?

Here are three things to know.

One, Turkey wholesale prices are up a lot.

We're looking at wholesale prices today being about 40% higher than last year.

David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, says

Turkey producers are dealing with dueling outbreaks, the first being avian influenza or bird flu. And

On top of that, you have another respiratory virus, AMPB that has reduced the number of viable

eggs and really slowed flock rebuilding. The bird flu outbreak that started in

2022 is part of what caused egg prices to skyrocket last winter. And like with chickens, when

one turkey tests positive for bird flu, the whole flock must be cold. And this year alone,

more than 2 million turkeys have been lost. But know this. While farmers have had to beef up on biosecurity on their farms, the

turkeys in the store are safe to eat.

Infected birds do not enter the food supply.

Two, while wholesale turkey prices are up, turkey retail prices are actually relatively flat.

Retailers often use whole turkeys as a lost leader.

That means stores sell the birds below cost to win your business for the rest of your

Thanksgiving meal.

So grocery stores are locked in a bit of a price war when it comes to whole turkeys,

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