It's a Thanksgiving tradition that goes back decades, Reuters reported.

"It's important to continue traditions like this, to remind us how from darkness there is light and hope and progress, and that's what this year's Thanksgiving in my view represents," Biden said.

Before he spoke, the turkeys wandered freely on the lawn as the smell of hot apple cider wafted through the air. A band played avian-related tunes, including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" and "Birdland" by Weather Report to a crowd of White House staff and their children.