Time magazine describes Thanksgiving as “The Superbowl of the turkey industry.”
We eat turkeys year-round, mainly as deli meat for our sandwiches, but producers face their highest demand for the birds at Thanksgiving when families buy them whole. This preparation begins months in advance, with producers carefully planning breeding schedules to ensure turkeys are of the right age and size by the time the holiday rolls around. According to Butterball’s 2024 report, nearly 90% of those hosting Thanksgiving plan to serve turkey at their gatherings.
From Farm to Table
Turkey distribution facilities will plan their distribution from 18 months to two years in advance. It all starts on breeder farms where eggs are collected from hens that may lay up to 100 of them per laying cycle. Eggs are transferred to hatcheries where they emerge as “poults”, the term used for baby turkeys. Hatched poults are then transported to heated, climate-controlled brood barns for several weeks where they spend time maturing. On average per the NTF, it takes 14 weeks for turkeys to reach their market weight. Mature males, called toms, will go to market as turkey breasts and legs. It is the females – hens – which are sold as whole turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Fresh or Frozen?
Frozen turkeys are prepared using a blast freezer. It takes 24 hours for them to freeze and once frozen, they can be stored for months.
Fresh turkeys are brought close to frozen, but not actually frozen, just to be processed, packaged, boxed, and delivered to their final destination. Fresh turkeys make it to stores as quickly as 48 hours and most will sell in the two weeks before Thanksgiving. Farms offering fresh turkeys have to work more days and longer shifts to meet the extra Thanksgiving demand.
Happy Thanksgiving!
As you are celebrating this year, give thanks to farmers, producers, and processors for their role in helping your feast reach your plate!
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