Here’s a list of turkey facts, courtesy of Southern Farm Network.

• Ben Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, proposed the turkey as the official United States bird
• The average American eats 16 pounds of turkey
• 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter
• 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% white meat and 30% dark meat
• The male turkey is called a tom
• Tom turkeys have beards
• The female turkey is called a hen
• The turkey was domesticated in Mexico and brought to Europe in the 16th century
• Turkeys lived almost ten million years ago
• In 1920, US turkey growers produced one turkey for every 29 persons in the US today
• Growers produce nearly one turkey for every person in the country
• Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.
• Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 mph and can run 20 mph.
• Turkeys are believed to have been brought to Britain in 1526 by Yorkshire man William Strickland. He acquired six turkeys from American Indian traders and sold them for a tuppence in Bristol.
• Henry VIII was the first English King to enjoy turkey and Edward VII made turkey eating fashionable at Christmas
• The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey are in a sandwich, stew, chili or soup, casseroles, and as a burger