For many people, turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving table These large birds can feed a crowd when cooked up golden brown and served with all the fixings But just how big can turkeys get? Let’s explore some record-breaking giant gobblers.
Tyson – The 86 Pound Heavyweight
In December 1989, a stag turkey named Tyson set the record for the world’s heaviest turkey, weighing in at a whopping 86 pounds at a competition in London. To put that in perspective, that’s heavier than a newborn baby rhino!
Tyson was bred by Leacroft Turkeys Ltd and was over 4 times the size of the average 15 pound Thanksgiving turkey. At 86 pounds, he weighed as much as two human legs or four gold bars.
After winning the heavyweight competition, Tyson was auctioned for charity for £4,400, around $6,692 at the time. So not only was he record-breakingly massive, he was also generous!
Other Notable Giant Gobblers
While Tyson remains the reigning champ, some other massive turkeys have come close to his record:
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In 2006, a 31.56 pound Merriam’s turkey was captured in California, over double the average Thanksgiving turkey.
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In 2002, a hunter took down a 37.61 pound Eastern turkey in Kentucky.
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Another 37.125 pound Eastern turkey was killed by a hunter in Oregon in 2002.
Though they didn’t beat Tyson, these are still tremendously large birds!
Cooking Colossal Birds
Cooking a bird as big as Tyson can be challenging. Most ovens can only handle up to 22 pound turkeys. Tyson’s 86 pounds would likely have to be cooked in sections.
Even for experienced cooks, spatchcocking and roasting in parts is safest for a bird that size to ensure it is fully cooked.
For deep frying, large partially frozen turkeys can cause hot oil to overflow dangerously due to the density difference between hot oil and frozen water.
So for turkey frying safety, it’s best to stick to smaller birds that can be safely submerged in oil fully.
Average Turkey Sizes
While giants like Tyson are fun to marvel at, you don’t need a record setter to enjoy delicious turkey. The average Thanksgiving turkey is 15 pounds, plenty for most gatherings.
If your bird is supersized or standard size, gobble it up and enjoy! It’s more about who you share it with rather than the size.
Fun Turkey Size Facts
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The average turkey in the 1930s was just 13 pounds. Modern breeding has more than doubled the size.
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Wild turkeys typically weigh between 5 to 20 pounds depending on the breed.
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The Broad Breasted White is the most common Thanksgiving turkey breed.
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Only male turkeys gobble. Females make a clicking noise.
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The longest recorded lifespan for a domestic turkey is 12 years. Wild turkeys usually live 3-4 years.
So there you have it! A look at some of the biggest gobblers around, with some fascinating turkey facts. From Tyson’s 86 pounds to your average 15 pounder, savor your bird this Thanksgiving!
What’s the Biggest Turkey You’ve Ever Killed?
Turkey hunters love to get down to the details of spurs, beards and even weight.
We pulled together the top five heavyweights of each wild turkey subspecies, and lined them up in this photo blog.
Check out the top weights for Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriams, Goulds, and Osceola turkeys as found in the official NWTF wild turkey records.
The Ocellated, of course, is a separate species of wild turkey. Go here for a photo essay on this bird of Southern Mexico. Title: Eastern, 37.61 Pounds:
David Cody Guess killed this Eastern on April 21, 2015, in Lyon, Kentucky.
Go here for the Realtree turkey blog story. Title: Rio Grande, 37.1250 Pounds:
Jacob Braught, of Oregon, took this big Rio Grande gobbler in his home state on April 15, 2002.
He used a box call to lure the monster Rio into range. Title: Merriams, 31.56 Pounds:
George Connors, of Washington State, tagged this big Merriams in Stevens, Washington.
He used both a box call and mouth diaphragm on April 29, 2006, to finish the deal. Title: Goulds, 29.3750 Pounds:
Scott J. Crofcheck, of Pennsylvania, killed this Goulds down in Old Mexico on April 20, 2002.
He used a slate call to lure the big bird in. Title: Osceola, 27 Pounds:
Osceolas are long-legged turkeys of the Florida swamps and pastures.
Rosita Morris killed this big one in Polk, Florida, her home state. A box call did the job.
What do all five heavyweight gobblers have in common? They were all taken in the month of April, and with a firearm.
Go here for more Realtree turkey hunting. Follow us on Facebook.
Editors note: This Realtree.com post was first published Feb. 27, 2017.
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FAQ
What is the biggest turkey ever recorded?
In 1989, a stag turkey named Tyson weighed 86 lb. (39.09 kg), earning it the Guinness World Record of the greatest dressed weight recorded for a turkey. Tyson won London, U.K.’s, last annual “heaviest turkey” competition on Dec.
What is the biggest breed of turkey?
The White Broad Breasted turkey is the most common commercial eating turkey breed available today, prized for its size and meat production. As one of the largest turkey breeds, it has limited natural reproductive abilities, often requiring artificial insemination to ensure high hatchability rates.
What is the biggest size turkey?
World’s Largest Turkey: 86 lbs
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest turkey weighed in at 86 lbs in London in 1989. With the average turkey at Thanksgiving weighing in at 15 pounds, it’s quite hard to imagine just how large this 86 pound bird was!
Which turkey bird is biggest?
The record-sized adult male wild turkey, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weighed 16.85 kg (37.1 lb), with records of tom turkeys weighing over 13.8 kg (30 lb) uncommon but not rare.