Butterball, have you tried beer?

Monday, February 3, 2014

A New Hampshire farmer feeds his Thanksgiving turkeys beer to make them "fatter, more flavourful and juicier," according to an Associated Press story.

For poultry farmer Joe Morette, the eureka moment occurred one hot July day in 1993 when a turkey knocked over a worker's can of beer and started drinking. Morette has been feeding his flock beer (preferably lager) ever since.

While Morette's customers are happy, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is not, saying turkeys shouldn't consume beer. However, the national director of Humane Heartland says, "I consulted with an avian veterinarian who said that, while giving beer to turkeys is not a standard protocol, hops could be beneficial for the intestinal tract."

Maybe Butterball should be taking note. At press time, there was still no explanation for a mysterious November shortage of over-16-pound turkeys, which the Associated Press reports cut Butterball's shipments of Thanksgiving turkeys by 50 per cent. BF