Ownership Submission
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 *
LEATHERBY DENNIS
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
TYSON FOODS INC [TSN] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
EVP & Chief Financial Officer
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
2200 DON TYSON PARKWAY		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
10/05/2009
(Street)

SPRINGDALE, AR 72762		 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
Class A Common Stock 09/15/2009   J(1) V 1,029 A $ 0 93,937 D  
Class A Common Stock 10/05/2009   S(2)   8,933 D $ 0 85,004 D  
Class A Common Stock 09/30/2009   J(3) V 5,394 A $ 0 14,000 I By Employee Stock Purchase Plan

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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
Performance Shares (4) 10/05/2009   A   18,262     (4)   (4) Class A Common Stock 18,262 $ 0 18,262 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
LEATHERBY DENNIS
2200 DON TYSON PARKWAY
SPRINGDALE, AR 72762		       EVP & Chief Financial Officer  

Signatures

 /s/ Leatherby, Dennis   10/07/2009
**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) Represents 1,029 shares of the Issuer's restricted Class A Common Stock acquired by the Reporting Person pursuant to a dividend reinvestment feature under the Issuer's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan since the last Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership was filed by the Reporting Person. Such acquisition is exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16a-11.
(2) On Sunday, October 4, 2009, 26,706 shares of restricted Class A Common Stock vested. The award of these restricted shares to the Reporting Person has previously been reported. Pursuant to an election made by the Reporting Person, 8,933 shares were sold by the Reporting Person to the Issuer on Monday, October 5, 2009, to satisfy tax withholding obligations related to the vesting.
(3) Represents 5,394 shares of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock purchased for the Reporting Person's account under the Issuer's Employee Stock Purchase Plan since the last Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership was filed by the Reporting Person. Such acquisitions are exempt from Section 16 reporting requirements pursuant to Rule 16b-3.
(4) The award will vest or expire two business days following the Issuer's 2012 fiscal year based upon a comparison of the market price of the Issuer's Class A Common Stock to a peer group of publicly traded companies. The number of performance shares that can vest under the awards range from 50% to 150% of a target level, and the number of derivative securities reported herein is at the maximum vesting level of 150%.

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