Let's Talk Turkey!

• Turkeys originated in North and Central America, and evidence indicates that they have been around for over 10 million years.

• In Mexico, the turkey was considered a sacrificial bird.

• Domesticated turkeys (farm raised) cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at up to 55 miles per hour. Wild turkeys are also fast on the ground, running at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.

• The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds about the size of a large German shepherd and was grown in England.

• Mature turkeys have 3,500 or so feathers. The Apache Indians con- sidered the turkey timid and wouldn't eat it or use its feathers on their arrows.

• More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and 525 million pounds of turkey are eaten during Thanksgiving.

• Ninety percent of American homes eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Fifty percent eat turkey on Christmas.

• North Carolina produces 61 million turkeys annually, more than any other state. Minnesota and Arkansas are number two and three.