Thanksgiving is king here at Hamilton. Who better to worship the biggest meal of the year than the makers of the biggest and toughest casters around? And did you know that the turkeys of today weigh twice as much as they did decades ago? Here’s a short ditty about how we ended up with this modern megabird
Until the 1950s, farmed turkeys were comparable in size to wild ones. But to meet America’s growing demand for meat, turkey farmers started breeding birds for both size and growth speed. (Side note: the birds grew so fast—as heavy as 50 pounds—that they couldn’t support their hefty frames or stand upright long enough to impregnate lady turkeys. Today, artificial insemination is the primary means of reproduction.) Today’s average turkey weighs approximately 30 pounds. In 1967, the average bird weighed a scrawny 18 pounds.
Turkeys keep getting bigger. Hamilton casters keep getting bigger. Just two fun facts you might want to weave into casual conversation while you feast this November 28.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!