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Thanksgiving turkeys are smaller this year — and more expensive. Here’s why.

This Thanksgiving is serving up smaller turkeys and bigger grocery bills.

Frozen turkeys are displayed at a supermarket in Philadelphia last year. Americans are bracing for a costly Thanksgiving this year, with double-digit percent increases in the price of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, canned pumpkin, and other staples.
Frozen turkeys are displayed at a supermarket in Philadelphia last year. Americans are bracing for a costly Thanksgiving this year, with double-digit percent increases in the price of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, canned pumpkin, and other staples.Read moreMatt Rourke / AP

You’re not the only one thinking it. Yes, those Thanksgiving turkeys at the grocery store are smaller this year. Also, they are more expensive — go figure.

Cooks could be paying more than twice as much for a turkey as they did last year, according to previous Inquirer reports. That is in large part due to the avian flu that killed more than 8 million turkeys in the United States. Inflation also has affected wages, salaries, and energy costs needed to produce and distribute poultry. But, because of the avian flu, farmers have been working double time to try to make up for the loss of turkeys before Thanksgiving, according to the U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA) — but they may not have had enough time.

» READ MORE: Thanksgiving dinner costs are rising. Here’s why, and where you can find help.

“Some of the turkeys that are being raised right now for Thanksgiving may not have the full amount of time to get to 20 pounds,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in an interview with Axios. “I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about whether or not you can carve your turkey on Thanksgiving. It’s going to be there, maybe smaller, but it’ll be there.”

A usual serving of Thanksgiving turkey is 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. The majority of shoppers look for 16-pound turkeys, which according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, are running at about $1.81 per pound for a total of $28.96 on average. For all your Thanksgiving main courses and sides, the Farm Bureau expects people to pay around $6.50 per person if they’re serving 10 people.

The big Thanksgiving turkeys you may be used to are usually male, also known as a “tom,” and smaller turkeys are usually female, also known as a “hen.” In the grocery store, this usually translates to a choice between toms weighing 16 to 24 pounds or hens weighing 8 to 16 pounds, according to the USDA.

The difference this year is that the 20-plus pound turkeys are harder to find. So shop early, double up on your sides this year if you are feeding a larger group, or consider having chicken. Sacrilege, we know.