As Thanksgiving approaches, turkey takes center stage on dinner tables across America. While the average turkey weighs 15 pounds, breeders have produced some shockingly massive birds over the years. What is the heaviest turkey ever recorded? Let’s look at the gigantic gobbler that holds the world record.
Overview of Turkey Sizes
Before examining the world’s heaviest turkey, let’s consider average turkey sizes:
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In the 1930s the average turkey weighed around 13 pounds.
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Today, commercial turkeys average 15-20 pounds.
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Heritage turkey breeds weigh less, around 8-14 pounds.
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Commercially raised tom (male) turkeys are larger than hens (females).
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The world record for heaviest turkey is over 5 times heavier than the average bird!
Tyson the 86 Pound Turkey
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s heaviest turkey was a massive 86 pound gobbler named Tyson.
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Tyson was raised in Peterborough, England by Philip Cook of Leacroft Turkeys Ltd.
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In 1989, Tyson won the annual “heaviest turkey” competition held in London.
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After winning, Tyson was sold at auction for charity for a record £4,400 (about $6,692 at the time).
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His record still stands today over 30 years later. No other turkey has surpassed his weight.
To visualize how enormous an 86 pound turkey is:
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The average 15 pound turkey is about 2 feet tall. Tyson would have been over 3 feet tall!
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An 86 pound turkey is heavier than most grown men.
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It’s estimated Tyson was 30-40 pounds heavier than the average male turkey.
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Lifting Tyson would be like trying to lift an average 4-year old child!
Criticism of Oversized Turkeys
While Tyson’s record weight is astounding, many criticize the pursuit of oversized turkeys due to health and welfare concerns including:
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Fast, artificial growth rates lead to cardiovascular and skeletal problems.
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Large commercial turkeys are prone to illness and suffer physical defects.
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Their excessive weight can make walking, running, and mating difficult.
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Large turkeys may be unable to survive outdoors like wild or heritage breeds.
The Verdict: Tyson Tips the Scales
In conclusion, Tyson the turkey remains the world record holder for heaviest turkey ever recorded at a whopping 86 pounds – over five times heavier than the average Thanksgiving turkey! While impressive, many argue that extremely large turkeys suffer health problems and poor welfare. Moderately sized turkeys around 15 pounds are best for humane raising and optimal quality.
NWTF World Record for Turkey with the Longest Beard
We still call them “beards” even though turkey beards don’t hang from the bird’s chin or are made of hair. As a mesofiloplume, a beard may look a lot like the tufts of hair-like bristles that can be found on some dinosaur fossils.
Beards never molt nor stop growing, but the tips wear, limiting their length. Eastern wild turkeys generally have the longest beards but long beards are found among all the subspecies. A beard grows out of a skin spot on the breast called a papilla. Turkey males and females both have papillae, but only about 10% of hens grow beards, and most of them are pretty thin.
Cody May shot an eastern tom with a beard that was 22 inches long during his second year of turkey hunting near his home in New Boston, Texas. 5 inches at the check station. By the time he had the brittle beard measured again, it had broken off to 17. 5 inches, which would have fallen short of the then-current record of 18. 125, shot in Virginia in 1998. Â However, the original measurement counted as official, giving May the new top spot.
NWTF World Record for Heaviest Turkey
The Eastern wild turkey is the heaviest of the subspecies, often weighing in excess of 25 pounds. The weather and food availability affect how big a turkey gets. Birds from farmland in the north are usually the biggest. But a big turkey can grow anywhere. Animals that live in cold places tend to get bigger than animals that live in warmer places, but big Easterns have been seen all over the world.
In 2015, David Cody Guess of Lyon County, Kentucky, killed a much bigger bird on his family farm. He had already killed a huge 28-pound bird. The gobbler weighed an astonishing 37. 6 pounds, and is the heaviest ever recorded.
How MUCH did the HEAVIEST turkey weigh?
FAQ
What is the heaviest turkey ever weighed?
What is the biggest size turkey?
What is the world record wild turkey weight?
How much does Tyson the turkey weigh?
What is the heaviest Turkey in the world?
The Guinness World Record for the heaviest turkey in all the land is actually held across the pond. According to Guinness, the World Record for the heaviest-dressed turkey has been unmatched since 1989. It goes to a gobbling gentleman named Tyson, who weighed a whopping 86 pounds.
How much does a wild turkey weigh?
The tom weighed 22 pounds and had a .9735 spur on one leg and a 1-inch spur on the other, making it the third highest-scoring turkey in the NWTF record system. 2. NWTF World Record for Heaviest Turkey The Eastern wild turkey is the heaviest of the subspecies, often weighing in excess of 25 pounds.
How much did the ‘heaviest Turkey’ cost in 1989?
It won the last annual `heaviest turkey’ competition, held in London on 12 December 1989, and was auctioned for charity for a record £4400 (then $6,692) It’s Thanksgiving time again, and we have our list of the best Guinness World Records to celebrate Turkey Day.
Was Tyson the heaviest Turkey ever recorded?
Tyson, from Peterborough in the United Kingdom, wasn’t any old bird. He was the heaviest turkey ever recorded, setting a Guinness World Record back on December 12, 1989, that has not been bettered to this day. Tyson belonged to Philip Cook of Leacroft Turkeys Limited, and was measured at a “greatest dressed weight” of 86 lbs (39 kg).
How much should a Thanksgiving turkey weigh?
It is recommended that each person receive a 1.5-pound share of the turkey. Therefore, if someone is serving eight people a Thanksgiving dinner, they should purchase a turkey that weighs between 12 and 15 pounds. However, if the party is smaller, the turkey should be smaller.
What is the largest turkey breed?
Several large turkey breeds are listed below, including weight and characteristics. The Standard Bronze turkey is one of the largest breeds, weighing 25 pounds. Breeding between European domestic turkeys and wild turkeys produced this breed, and they are often used for meat production.