Ben Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, proposed the turkey as the official United States bird.
In 2012, the average American ate 16 pounds of turkey.
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 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.
Turkeys’ heads change colors when they become excited.
Most of the turkeys raised for commercial production are White Hollands.
It takes 75–80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.
A domesticated male turkey can reach a weight of 30 pounds within 18 weeks after hatching.
Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving.
Twenty-two million turkeys are eaten each Christmas.
Nineteen million turkeys are eaten each Easter.
Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.
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.
The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, stew, chili or soup, casseroles, or as a burger.