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: May 17, 2005

/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: May 17, 2005

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