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According to a poll by the National Turkey Federation, 97 percent of Americans eat turkey for Thanksgiving. It was the fowl that the early pioneers developed a taste for and, according to lore, was served at the first Thanksgiving, thus making it a Thanksgiving tradition to serve it along with all the other original courses such as just-add-water mashed potatoes, microwaveable string-beans, and gelatinous, can-shaped logs of cranberry sauce. But how much do you really know about these famous holiday birds?

The turkey has played a large roll in American culture, even beyond being a tasty treat. For instance, Benjamin Franklin proposed that the turkey be the National bird, instead of the Bald Eagle. According to Franklin, who was disappointed by the Bald Eagle's selection, "The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and a true original native of America."
The turkey has also served well as a popular Presidential Public Relations stunt for many administrations. Every year, the president "pardons" a turkey and releases it to a petting zoo called Frying Pan Park in Virginia. The roots of this tradition are unknown, but it has been stated that they can be traced back to Truman, or even back to Lincoln. Last year, the president pardoned a turkey named Biscuit. This year, the turkey that will be pardon will be chosen by an online ballot that can be found on the White House's website.
Also, turkeys have had a pop-culture effect in that Big Bird's outfit is made entirely of turkey feathers. A full-grown turkey has over 3500 feathers, most of which cannot be used for anything. However, aside from being the material of Sesame Street costumes, turkey feathers also adorn the traditional costumes of some Native American tribes, and were formally used as pen quills.
Despite all those feathers, the turkeys we are used to eating can't fly, before or after they are killed. Wild turkeys can fly, but the birds served at Thanksgiving are domesticated. Most domesticated turkeys are grown on farms for profit, and over-feed, making them twice as heavy as wild turkeys, and effectively eliminating their gift of flight.
Last year, over 250 million turkeys were raised to be eaten or sold as meat in super-markets. However, 45 million of those birds were eaten just on Thanksgiving alone. On average, a whole turkey bought for Thanksgiving weighs 15 pounds. This means that over 675 million pounds of turkey is consumed during this holiday. This means that, on average, an American consumes

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