Turkeys are pictured at Jones Turkey Farm on Thursday in Jefferson Township in April. While other areas of the nation are experiencing shortages due to the bird flu epidemic, Butler County shoppers will be able to find turkeys to cook for Thanksgiving dinner, local experts say. Butler Eagle photo

In the aisles at Sprankle's Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg, a traditional Thanksgiving turkey may be a little bit harder to find.

“There’s definitely a limited supply. I’m not sure there’s going to be a shortage, but it’s definitely very limited,” said Doug Sprankle of Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market. “It's not the usual abundant quantities. People thinking about it for Christmas should probably pick it up now.”

The sparser offerings, he said, are reflective of a larger shortage of turkey across the country, powered by the ongoing bird flu epidemic. However, suppliers and vendors in Butler County aren’t seeing too severe of a decrease in gobblers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since January 2022, more than 50 million poultry birds have been affected by the bird flu epidemic. The disease has been found in 46 states, including Pennsylvania, but the CDC does not list Butler County as an affected region.

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