Turkey Facts - Ben Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, proposed the turkey as the official United States bird.
- In 2006, the average American ate 16.9 pounds of turkey.
97% or Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. - Turkey consumption has increased 108% since 1970.
- In 2006, Turkey was the # 4 protein choice for American consumers behind chicken, beef and pork
- The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
- The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.
- A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
- The wild turkey is native to Northern Mexico and the Eastern United States.
- The male turkey is called a tom.
- The female turkey is called a hen.
- The turkey was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the 16th century.
- Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour.
- Wild turkeys can run 20 miles per hour.
- Tom turkeys have beards. This is black, hairlike feathers on their breast. Hens sometimes have beards, too.
- Turkeys�?heads change colors when they become excited.
Canadians consumed 138.6 million kg (Mkg) of turkey in the year 2005. - Six hundred seventy-five million pounds of turkey are eaten each Thanksgiving in the United States.
- Turkeys can see movement almost a hundred yards away.
- Turkeys lived almost ten million years ago.
- Turkey feathers were used by Native Americans to stabilize arrows.
- Baby turkeys are called poults and are tan and brown.
- Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks and are larger than chicken eggs.
- It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.
- In 1920, U.S. turkey growers produced one turkey for every 29 persons in the
- U.S. Today growers produce nearly one turkey for every person in the country.
- United States turkey growers raised 261.9 million turkeys in 2006.
- The turkeys produced in 2005 together weighed 7.2 billion pounds and were valued at $3.2 billion.
- United States turkey growers will produce an estimated 269.8 million turkeys in 2007.
- Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving.
- Twenty-two million turkeys are eaten each Christmas.
- Nineteen million turkeys are eaten each Easter.
- 27% of turkeys consumed in the United States are consumed during the holidays.
- Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.
- Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.
- Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and California are the leading producers of turkey in 2006. These states produced 169.8 million of the 261.9 million turkeys raised in 2006.
- Illinois produced 2.8 million turkeys in 2007.
- A 16 week old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster and a yearling is a year old. Any turkey 15 months or older is called mature.
- The ballroom dance the 'turkey trot' was named for the short, jerky steps that turkeys take.
- Turkeys don’t really have ears like ours, but they have very good hearing.
- Turkeys can see in color.
- A large group of turkeys is called a flock.
- Turkeys do not see well at night.
- A domesticated male turkey can reach a weight of 30 pounds within 18 weeks after hatching.
- Turkeys are related to pheasants.
- Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
- Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.
- Wild turkeys spend the night in trees. They especially like oak trees.
- Wild turkeys were almost wiped out in the early 1900's. Today there are wild turkeys in every state except Alaska.
- Turkeys are believed to have been brought to Britain in 1526 by Yorkshireman William Strickland. He acquired six turkeys from American Indian traders and sold them for tuppence in Bristol.
- Henry VIII was the first English King to enjoy turkey and Edward VII made turkey eating fashionable at Christmas.
- In England, 200 years ago, turkeys were walked to market in herds. They wore booties to protect their feet. Turkeys were also walked to market in the United States.
- For 87% of people in the UK, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a traditional roast turkey.
- Turkey breeding has caused turkey breasts to grow so large that the turkeys fall over.
- June is National Turkey Lover’s Month.
Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to the President. The President does not eat the live turkey. He 'pardons' it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm. - The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
- Eating turkey does not cause you to feel sleepy after your Thanksgiving dinner. Carbohydrates in your Thanksgiving dinner are the likely cause of your sleepiness.
- 50 percent of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once per week.
- According to the 2002 census, there were 8,436 turkey farms in the United States.
- Turkey is low in fat and high in protein.
- Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
- White meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat.
- Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
- Turkeys have been bred to have white feathers. White feathers have no spots under the skin when plucked.
- Most turkey feathers are composted.
- Turkey skins are tanned and used to make cowboy boots and belts.
- The costume that 'Big Bird' wears on Sesame Street is rumored to be made of turkey feathers.
- Israelis eat the most turkeys.....28 pounds per person.
- The caruncle is a red-pink fleshy growth on the head and upper neck of the turkey.
- Turkeys have a long, red, fleshy area called a snood that grows from the forehead over the bill.
- The fleshy growth under a turkey’s throat is called a wattle.
- Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days.
- The Native Americans hunted wild turkey for its sweet, juicy meat as early as
- 1000 A.D. Turkey feathers were used to stabilize arrows and adorn ceremonial dress, and the spurs on the legs of wild tom turkeys were used as projectiles on arrowheads.
- Number of places in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2005, with 492 residents; followed by Turkey Creek, Louisiana (357); and Turkey, North Carolina (269). There also are nine townships around the country named “Turkey,�?three in Kansas
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