INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Mark LaFay isn’t taking any chances this Thanksgiving. The owner of Old Major Market in Indianapolis is preparing up to 200 smoked turkeys for the holiday season, and after last year’s bird shortage left him scrambling just 10 days before Thanksgiving, he’s getting ahead of the supply chain headaches this time around.

LaFay said avian influenza and competing demand from major national chains have created what he calls a “historic bird shortage” that hit small butcher shops particularly hard in recent years. He recalled restaurateur Eddie Sahm arriving to pick up hundreds of birds only to be told the supplier’s shipment never arrived. “We ran into it last year,” LaFay said. “We were literally scrambling 10 days before trying to figure out, are we going to have turkeys to get all these smoked turkeys made. So we’re working ahead this year because I’m not doing that.”

Old Major accepts pre-orders for smoked turkeys, which are made to order and now in limited quantity. Fresh turkeys can be ordered until about a week and a half before Thanksgiving, while frozen birds will be available for last-minute shoppers, though LaFay joked he might charge a premium for procrastinators. The shop also offers smoked turkey breasts, hams, seasonal pâtés, and a full lineup of sides including sweet potato yum-yum and mashed potatoes.

To celebrate the holiday rush, Old Major Market is hosting a three-day Holiday Market the week before Thanksgiving, featuring about 17 local vendors. Customers picking up turkey orders can also shop for bread and pies from Moonlight Baking, artisanal cheese from Tulip Tree, cutting boards, and other specialty items.

“We have so many people that come to pick up their turkey orders, side orders, special boxes of tasty meats, all that week of Thanksgiving that we thought, well, we might as well have some other vendors in,” LaFay said.

Old Major also appears at several winter farmers markets around Indianapolis, including the Sabro Winter Market at Central Christian Church on 46th and Central, Indy Winter Market at the Amp, Broad Ripple at the former Broad Ripple High School, and Carmel north of the Palladium every other weekend.

For customers outside Indianapolis, Old Major offers statewide and nationwide shipping.