EXHIBIT 31

                              CERTIFICATION

I,  John Bekkers, Principal Executive Officer of Gold Kist Inc., certify
that:

1.   I  have  reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of  Gold  Kist
     Inc.;

2.   Based  on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain  any
     untrue  statement  of a material fact or omit to state  a  material
     fact  necessary  to  make the statements  made,  in  light  of  the
     circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
     with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.   Based   on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other
     financial  information  included in this quarterly  report,  fairly
     present  in all material respects the financial condition,  results
     of  operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
     periods presented in this report;

4.   The  registrant's other certifying officers and I  are  responsible
     for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
     (as  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
     registrant and have:

     (a)  Designed  such disclosure controls and procedures,  or  caused
          such  disclosure controls and procedures to be designed  under
          our  supervision, to ensure that material information relating
          to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
          made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
          during the period in which this report is being prepared;

     (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness of the  registrant's  disclosure
          controls  and  procedures and presented  in  this  report  our
          conclusion about the effectiveness of the disclosure  controls
          and  procedures, as of the end of the period covered  by  this
          report based on such evaluation; and

     (c)  Disclosed  in  this  report  any change  in  the  registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
          the  registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
          fourth  fiscal quarter in the case of an annual  report)  that
          has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
          affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control  over  financial
          reporting; and

5.   The  registrant's other certifying officers and I  have  disclosed,
     based  on  our  most  recent evaluation of  internal  control  over
     financial  reporting, to the registrant's auditors  and  the  audit
     committee  of  the  registrant's board  of  directors  (or  persons
     performing similar functions):

     (a)  All  significant deficiencies and material weaknesses  in  the
          design   or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial
          reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect  the
          registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and  report
          financial information; and

     (b)  Any  fraud,  whether or not material, that involves management
          or  other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the
          registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 16, 2004

/s/ John Bekkers
Title:  Chief Executive Officer


                               EXHIBIT 31

                              CERTIFICATION

I,  Stephen  O.  West, Principal Financial Officer of  Gold  Kist  Inc.,
certify that:

1.   I  have  reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of  Gold  Kist
     Inc.;

2.   Based  on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain  any
     untrue  statement  of a material fact or omit to state  a  material
     fact  necessary  to  make the statements  made,  in  light  of  the
     circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading
     with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.   Based   on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other
     financial  information  included in this quarterly  report,  fairly
     present  in all material respects the financial condition,  results
     of  operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
     periods presented in this report;

4.   The  registrant's other certifying officers and I  are  responsible
     for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
     (as  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
     registrant and have:

     (a)  Designed  such disclosure controls and procedures,  or  caused
          such  disclosure controls and procedures to be designed  under
          our  supervision, to ensure that material information relating
          to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
          made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
          during the period in which this report is being prepared;

     (b)  Evaluated  the  effectiveness of the  registrant's  disclosure
          controls  and  procedures and presented  in  this  report  our
          conclusion about the effectiveness of the disclosure  controls
          and  procedures, as of the end of the period covered  by  this
          report based on such evaluation; and

     (c)  Disclosed  in  this  report  any change  in  the  registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
          the  registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
          fourth  fiscal quarter in the case of an annual  report)  that
          has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
          affect,  the  registrant's  internal  control  over  financial
          reporting; and

5.   The  registrant's other certifying officers and I  have  disclosed,
     based  on  our  most  recent evaluation of  internal  control  over
     financial  reporting, to the registrant's auditors  and  the  audit
     committee  of  the  registrant's board  of  directors  (or  persons
     performing similar functions):

     (a)  All  significant deficiencies and material weaknesses  in  the
          design   or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial
          reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect  the
          registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and  report
          financial information; and

     (b)  Any  fraud,  whether or not material, that involves management
          or  other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the
          registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 16, 2004

/s/ Stephen O. West
Title:  Chief Financial Officer