Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 11/14/13

Just two weeks before Thanksgiving, Butterball has alerted its customers that it is running short on fresh whole turkeys, due to unexpected low weight gains, the company confirmed to Meatingplace.

“[W]e experienced some shortage of fresh whole turkeys, predominately for turkeys 16 pounds or greater, due to unexpected low weight gains,” according to a company statement emailed to Meatingplace.  “While we are continuing to evaluate all potential causes, we are working to remedy the issue and are currently seeing turkey weight gain improvements.”

Big Y World Class Markets spokeswoman Claire D'Amour-Daley told The Republican that Butterball cut retailer allotments of large fresh turkeys by 50 percent.

The Butterball statement said the company has ample supplies of all sizes of frozen whole turkeys and that it has shipped 100 percent of customer orders of frozen whole turkeys across the country.

Asking for patience, understanding and support “as we work through this issue,” the statement said, “Butterball expects to completely fulfill all customer orders of fresh whole turkeys for Christmas.”

“If consumers cannot find a Butterball fresh whole turkey in their desired size, they can purchase a Butterball frozen whole turkey for their Thanksgiving meal,” the statement urged. “Depending on the size of their turkey, it typically takes between three to five days to thaw; we suggest thawing in a refrigerator for four hours per every pound of turkey.”

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