What is the total average cost (per pound)of producing a Turkey. In
other words at what wholesale price (per pound) could a appx 20 pound
turkey be sold and still allow for all costs of production and
processing. Please provide some substatiation or reference.

Below you will find the results of my research regarding turkey production costs.


From the Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Page 39:
Turkey costs 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Date  Decatur  Chicago  CostperPound      CostperPound       3-Region
      Soybean  No. 2    Liveweight Basis  R.T.C. Basis      Wholesale
      Meal     Corn     Feed    Total     Production  Total   Price
      $/ton    $/bushel    cents/lb       cents/lb           cents/lb
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2002
Jul   187.50    2.33    19.98    33.68     42.09      58.39    63.13
Aug   186.25    2.63    20.30    34.00     42.50      58.80    62.88
Sep   185.50    2.70    20.87    34.57     43.21      59.51    62.24
Oct   168.20    2.58    22.41    36.11     45.13      61.43    62.51
Nov   163.20    2.47    23.54    37.24     46.55      62.85    65.03
Dec   163.60    2.41    23.79    37.49     46.86      63.16    63.40

2003
Jan   167.40    2.41    22.48    36.18     45.23      61.53    59.23
Feb   176.80    2.43    21.80    35.50     44.38      60.68    59.21
Mar   175.40    2.43    21.58    35.28     44.11      60.41    59.72
Apr   182.10    2.48    21.77    35.47     44.33      60.63    59.90
May   195.40    2.54    22.29    35.99     44.99      61.29    58.92
Jun   191.90    2.49    22.23    35.93     44.91      61.21    58.73
Jul   187.30    2.26    22.75    36.45     45.56      61.86    57.33
Aug   189.70    2.31    23.62    37.32     46.65      62.95    57.17
Sep   235.20    2.34    23.26    36.96     46.19      62.49    60.49
Oct   225.20    2.27    22.12    35.82     44.77      61.07    64.44
---------------------------------------------------------------------



Page 13
---------------------------------------------------
Turkey           Wholesale cost    Wholesale price 
                 Cents/pound       Cents/pound    
October  2003    61.07             64.44 
November 2003    61.47             66.50
---------------------------------------------------


Source:
November 2003, "Turkey Prices to Strengthen,
Electronic Outlook Report from the Economic Research Service
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ldp/Nov03/LDPM113F.pdf


===============
Historical Data 
===============

Table 153
Turkey Production costs, ready-to-cook basis
Cents per pound from 1972-2000 by month

You may download this data in MS Excel Spreadsheet format at this direct link.
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/data-sets/livestock/89007/table153.xls



============================================
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============================================

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Search criteria:
Cost of producing a turkey
Production costs for pound of turkey
Turkey production costs per pound


I hope you find this information useful!

Best regards,
Bobbie7

Very good research. Thank you