Small Turkeys Are In Demand As Americans Downsize At Thanksgiving

Broad Breasted White turkeys roam their open-air enclosure on the Shenk Family Farm in Newport, N.C. This year all of the approximately 70 turkeys, which will be 14-16 lbs once they are processed, have been reserved for Thanksgiving.

Madeline Gray for NPR

Rachel and Joe Shenk raise turkeys on a small farm in Newport, N.C. The turkeys are a traditional commercial breed known as Broad Breasted Whites that they raise just for Thanksgiving.

“They’re not very smart, but they make up for that by being really friendly and interesting,” Joe said. The birds are a favorite of the Shenk family, and they respond specifically to Joe’s gobble calls, echoing them back to him.

The couple will harvest the birds the weekend before Thanksgiving, but for weeks now, they’ve been fielding orders.