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

11/ The fleshy growth from the base of the beak, which is very long on male turkeys and hangs down over the beak, is called the snood.

12/ The natural life of wild turkeys is very different to the horrors faced by their factory-farmed counterparts. From the day they are born, turkeys' lives are governed by the production line. The one-day-old chicks are transported to windowless sheds, housing between 10,000 - 30,000 birds. Lighting and heating in these sheds are controlled by computer and the birds' high-protein feed is often laced with antibiotics to accelerate growth. Many birds are de-beaked (without anaesthetic) with red-hot blades to minimise feather pecking, behaviour which stems from the unnaturally over-crowded conditions. The litter on the floor of the shed remains unchanged throughout the whole period of rearing, resulting in hock burns (similar to bedsores), painful breast blisters and ulcerated feet from the ammonia-ridden droppings.

13/ According to the USDA, over 7,000 farms report turkey sales. However, this includes about 4,000 small, seasonal farmers. Only about 3,300 farms sell over 2,000 turkeys per year.

14/ On average, it takes 84 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey. About 2.8 pounds of feed are required for every pound of weight gain.

15/ During a 25-week laying cycle a breeder hen normally lays 88-93 eggs. At the end of this cycle, the hen is "spent" and will usually be slaughtered.

16/ All commercial turkeys produced today are the white broad breasted turkey breed. This breed was first used for commercial turkey production in the late 1950's. By the late 1960's the majority of the industry used this turkey breed. Domesticated turkeys are also bred to have more breast meat, meatier thighs, and white feathers. White feathers are preferred so that, when plucked, they leave no unsightly pigment spots under the skin.

17/ Most domestic turkeys are so heavy they are unable to fly.

18/ Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) live in woods in parts of North America and are the largest game birds found in this part of the world. They spend their days foraging for food like acorns, seeds, small insects and wild berries. They spend their nights in low branches of trees.

19/ Peacocks aren't the only birds who use their fancy tails to attract a mate. Each spring male turkeys try to befriend as many females as possible. Male turkeys, also called "Tom Turkeys" or "Gobblers" puff up their bodies and spread their tail feathers (just like a peacock).

20/ After the female turkey mates, she prepares a nest under a bush in the woods and lays her tan and speckled brown eggs. She incubates as many as 18 eggs at a time. It takes about a month for the chicks to hatch.

21/ Have you ever wondered what the country Turkey and the bird have in common? A case of mistaken identity resulted in the American Turkey being named after the country. When the Spanish first found the bird in the Americas more than 400 years ago they brought it back to Europe. The English mistakenly thought it was a bird they called a "turkey" so they gave it the same name. This other bird was actually from Africa, but came to England by way of the Turkey (lots of shipping went through Turkey at the time). The name stuck even when they realized the birds weren't the same.