One lucky turkey from Utah to be pardoned

Nov 19, 2015

Ceremony will take place Tuesday, November 24th

Families throughout the United States will be making their ways to grocery stores to pick up turkeys for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Some turkeys across the country will be the most thankful as they will receive official pardons from government officials. As a result, they’ll be able to live out their days in comfort on farms around the United States.

In Utah, a lucky turkey will be chosen on Thursday afternoon to be pardoned. That bird will be honored at a ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, November 24^th at 10:00am, at the Utah State Capitol North Plaza. The pardoned poultry will live out its days at Thanksgiving Point’s Farm Country and the turkey’s owner will receive a gift basket.

In Alabama, Governor Robert Bentley pardoned a turkey named Clyde from becoming part of a family’s thanksgiving festivities.

“By the power vested in me, I hereby pardon Clyde,” he said during the ceremony. “I want to pardon you from the succulent trappings of Thanksgiving dinner and may you live out the rest of your days in peace and happiness.”

A turkey from San Francisco will be getting the presidential treatment when it departs for Washington D.C. on Monday morning.

The bird will board a United Airlines flight, aptly named “Turkey One”. Once it arrives in Washington, a mock Secret Service detail will escort the bird to meet President Obama for an official pardon.

President Ronald Reagan pardoned the first turkey in 1987 and President George H.W. Bush made turkey pardoning an annual event.

Turkeys by the numbers:

Total value of turkey production at the farm level in 2014 was $5.30 billion
American turkey meat production in 2014 was 5.76 billion pounds
The top five turkey producing states are Minnesota, Arkansas, North Carolina, Indiana and Missouri

According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, turkey meat production between January and September 2015 was 4.17 billion pounds, a 1.6% drop from the same time in 2014.

The total annual turkey meat production is estimated at 5.6 billion pounds – also down from 2014. The avian flu outbreak of 2015 contributed to 7.8 million birds being lost, with prices rising as a result. The wholesale price in October 2015 for a whole frozen hen turkey was $1.36 per pound, 17% higher than last year.

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.