On the trail with Thanksgiving dinner
- Herb Broda: Nature Notebook
- November 22, 2019
- 1462
During the next week grocery cases will be piled high with turkeys. We have our pick of several brands and most any size bird. That’s all possible because of refrigeration and a sophisticated transportation infrastructure. But go back 150 years or so and you are in the era of the turkey drives.
Now turkey drives don’t have the glamour of movie-themed cattle drives. There are no cowboys lassoing stray turkeys while singing “Back in the Saddle Again.” In fact often the “drovers” or drivers of the turkeys were boys who were walking, not riding. Horses and an occasional mule were brought along, but it was much more efficient to walk beside the flock.
Turkey drives were the only way to get large flocks from rural farms to hungry city folks. Birds could not be easily processed locally and shipped in the early 1800s because refrigerated rail transport was still in its infancy and trucks were still a dream. The only way to provide lots of turkeys for Boston, Denver or even Cleveland was to walk the birds to market.
These were not leisurely strolls with a dozen birds. To be financially feasible, farmers had to lead turkey drives with hundreds or even thousands of birds in a flock. Historian Charles Monroe Wilson estimates it took at least 1,000 birds to make the 150- to 300-mile trip from Vermont to Boston worthwhile.
Turkey drives could cover anywhere from 10-25 miles a day, depending on weather, terrain, number of birds and wind speed. Herding 300 turkeys into a 20-mph headwind could really slow you down. Even if drivers could average 15 miles per day, a 90-mile trip could take most of a week.
Author Neil M. Clark describes a large turkey drive with over 500 turkeys purchased in Iowa and Missouri being driven over 600 miles across Colorado to the gold-crazed boom town of Denver. It had to be a bizarre sight: hundreds of gangly birds walking along the trail led only by the owner and two boy drovers leading horses, mules and a wagon with shelled corn.
As the birds walked to Denver, they also fattened up along the way. Grasshoppers were abundant, as well as other gleanings left in farm fields. If roadside food got scarce, the shelled corn in the wagon became the cafeteria.
While walking as a large group on the open road, some birds became a meal for foxes or other wildlife. Occasionally an opportunistic farm family would snatch a few birds from the parade and treat themselves to an early holiday dinner. About 10 percent of the flock was lost before reaching Denver.
Although the Denver story shows a large-scale turkey drive, thousands of smaller ones took place around the country. Turkeys were really good walkers. Remember these birds were still closely related to their wild cousins. They had strong legs, rather amiable dispositions and could usually be coaxed along with a trail of shelled corn.
Unfortunately for the drovers, turkeys also have some annoying personality traits. Turkeys walk just fine in the daylight, but as soon as the sun sets, the birds stop and immediately find a place to roost. Hundreds of turkeys roosting in a tree or roof can crush large limbs and do serious damage to a building.
A frequently cited story tells about a large flock that settled on a schoolhouse and collapsed the roof. Fortunately the schoolmaster who was working late escaped injury.
Long covered bridges also caused problems because halfway across it was dark enough inside that birds frequently thought the sun had set. So they did what turkeys do; they just settled down to roost in the middle of the bridge, effectively blocking all traffic and forcing drovers to carry them to the other side.
The turkeys we buy today would never have made it on the open road. Present-day breeding practices have produced turkeys with enormous amounts of breast meat. A turkey drive with Butterball Turkeys would be a sight to see. There would be a whole lot of tottering and puffing but not much forward movement.
As you serve your turkey this Thanksgiving, pause to recall a bygone era. The turkey drive is a wonderful example of American entrepreneurial spirit being fueled by old-fashioned hard work and persistence.
Email Herb Broda at 4nature.notebook@gmail.com.