FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BUTTS LAMPKIN   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol SANDERSON FARMS INC [SAFM] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) President and COO (Last) (First) (Middle) 225 N. 13TH AVENUE 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 12/28/2005 (Street) LAUREL, MS 39440 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 12/21/2005   G V 300 D $ 0 (1) 42,594 D   Common Stock               39,413 I Allocated to Reporting Persons account in Issuer ESOP Common Stock 12/28/2005   A   4,412 A $ 0 (3) 47,006 D   Common Stock 12/28/2005   A   1,103 A $ 0 (2) 48,109 D   Common Stock 12/30/2005   A   552 A $ 30.53 48,661 D   Common Stock 12/30/2005   A   138 A $ 0 (2) 48,799 D

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BUTTS LAMPKIN 225 N. 13TH AVENUE LAUREL, MS 39440	X		President and COO

Signatures

/s/ Lampkin Butts		01/04/2006
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The reported transaction consisted of gifts of common stock. Thus, there is no price.
(2)	Shares granted by the Issuer pursuant to the matching contribution provisions of the Isuer's Management Stock Purchase Plan.
(3)	The reported transaction represents the receipt of common stock in lieu of a portion of a cash bonus that otherwise would have been payable to the Reporting Person, and therefore the transaction was not a "purchase" and there was no price. The price used by the Issuer to calculate the number of shares payable to the Reporting Person was $31.17 per share, which was the closing market price of the stock on December 28, 2005, the bonus payment date.

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