If it makes you feel any better about your food today, it turns out that turkeys granted a Presidential pardon don’t have that great a life, as Zachary Crockett wrote:

• The National Turkey Federation (seriously) is responsible for breeding and presenting candidates for a Presidential pardon.
• 80 hatchlings are selected as potentials and are fed a high calorie diet to make them as fat as possible for the cameras.
• Of those only 20 of the largest and best-behaved make the cut.
• They then go through an intensive regime where they are trained to handle the spotlight so that they don’t panic amidst the flash photography and noisy crowds.
• Only about two make it to the next round where they are pampered. This year’s candidates got $350 a night hotel rooms covered in wood shavings.
• After being pardoned they are sent to a farm to live out the rest of their years in peace.
• It turns out though they don’t live very long. The high calorie diet means that they die early, obesity related deaths.
• Of the past eight turkeys that have been pardoned, seven died less than a year after they earned a pardon.

…Happy Thanksgiving!

Read about how contrary to popular belief, the history of the Presidential Turkey pardon only goes back to the late 80s, how myths around the tradition got started, a list of the names of each of the turkeys pardoned, and more over here.

Source: Priceonomics