Filing Details

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G/A Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.__)* Sanderson Farms, Inc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Name of Issuer) Common Stock -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Title of Class of Securities) 800013104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (CUSIP Number) December 31, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement) Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: |X| Rule 13d-1(b) |_| Rule 13d-1(c) |_| Rule 13d-1(d) *The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page. The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). CUSIP NO. 800013104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON SS OR IRS IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON AJO, LP 23-2312104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (a) |_| (b) |_| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 SEC USE ONLY -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 SOLE VOTING POWER 500,865 NUMBER OF -------------------------------------------------------------- SHARES 6 SHARED VOTING POWER BENFICIALLY OWNED BY 0 EACH -------------------------------------------------------------- REPORTING 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER PERSON WITH 753,672 -------------------------------------------------------------- 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 753,672 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES |_| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9 3.30% -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON IA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Item 1. a) Name of Issuer: Sanderson Farms, Inc. b) Address: 225 N 13th Avenue PO Box 988 Laurel, Mississippi 39441 Item 2. a) Name of Filer: AJO, LP b) Address of Filer: 230 S. Broad Street, 20th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 c) Citizenship: Delaware d) Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock e) CUSIP Number: 800013104 Item 3. Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b), or 13d-2(b), check whether the person filing is a: (a) |_| Broker or Dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act (b) |_| Bank as defined in section 3 (a) (6) of the Act (c) |_| Insurance Company as defined in section 3 (a) (6) of the Act (d) |_| Investment Company registered under section 8 of the Investment Company Act (e) |X| Investment Adviser registered under section 203 of the Investment Advisers act of 1940 (f) |_| Employee Benefit Plan, Pension Fund which is subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or Endowment Fund; see 240.13d-1 (b) (1) (ii) (F) (g) |_| Parent Holding Company, in accordance with 240.13d-1 (b) (ii) (G) (Note: See Item 7) (h) |_| Group, in accordance with 240.13d-1(b) (1) (ii) (H) Item 4. Ownership a) Amount beneficially owned: 753,672 b) Percent of Class: 3.30% c) Number of shares: (i) Sole voting power -- 500,865 (ii) Shared voting power -- 0 (iii) Sole disposal power -- 753,672 (iv) Shared disposal power - 0 Item 5. Less than 5% beneficial ownership If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [x]. Item 6. More than 5% on behalf of another person The securities as to which this schedule is filed by AJO, LP, in its capacity as investment adviser, are owned of record by clients of AJO,LP.No such client is known to own more than five percent of this class of securities. Item 7. Subsidiary na Item 8. If group na Item 9. Notice of Dissolution na Item 10. Certification By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purposes or effect. SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. February 5, 2018 Date AJO, LP By: /s/ Joseph F. Dietrick, Chief Compliance Officer -------------------------------------------------- Name, Title