• Ben Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, proposed the turkey as the official United States bird.
• In 2007, the average American ate 17.5 pounds of turkey.
  97% or Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving.
• Turkey consumption has increased 116% since 1970.
• Since 1970, turkey production in the United States has increased nearly 300 percent.
• In 2007, 271,685,000 turkeys were produced in the United States.
• In 1970, 50 per cent of all turkey consumed was during the holidays, now just 29 per cent of all turkey consumed is during the holidays as more turkey is eaten year-round.
• 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..
• The turkeys produced in 2007 together weighed 7.9 billion pounds and were valued at $3.7 billion.
• United States turkey growers will produce an estimated 271 million turkeys in 2008.
• Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving.
• Twenty-two million turkeys are eaten each Christmas.
• Nineteen million turkeys are eaten each Easter.
• 29% 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 2007. These states produced 175 million of the 271 million turkeys raised in 2007.
• 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

Sources: National Turkey Federation, U.S.D.A., United States Census Bureau, Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, British Turkey Information Service, Canadian Turkey Marketing Association