Its mascot is a turkey, so it’s no surprise that the “presidential flock” of pardoned Thanksgiving birds do well at Virginia Tech.
But even the overseer of the birds agrees that it’s “crazy” that the last two flocks pardoned by President Trump are still gobbling.
Bred to live six months, the pardoned birds in the past have lived just a year or less.
But Trump’s 2018 and 2019 birds are doing well, said David Linker, Virginia Tech’s agricultural program coordinator who manages the school’s farm and turkey pens dubbed “Gobblers Rest.” And it might be historic.
He told Secrets, “Crazy as it seems, they are doing fine. The two from last year, which would be Bread and Butter, were born in July of 2019, and they look really good. Then, actually, we still have Peas and Carrots alive, and they were born in June of 2018, and they look like 2 1/2-year-old birds, they are molting a bit, but they’re healthy. Legs are still doing fine.”
In fact, they’re doing so well, some have suggested eating them.
“Some people come in and say we ought to go ahead and eat them this year, but nope, they’ve been pardoned, and they are probably pretty tough by now,” said Linker.
Next week, Trump is set to pardon another pair of birds, the main Thanksgiving turkey and the backup, just in case something happens to the No. 1 bird before the ceremony.
This year’s birds will come from the farm of Ron Kardel, the National Turkey Federation’s 2020 chairman and a sixth-generation Iowa farmer. He is a vice chairman of West Liberty Foods.
Over the years since the practice of pardoning White House birds was set by former President Ronald Reagan, they have gone to several sites, including petting farms. Officials would not say where this year’s birds will reside, but they won’t be going to Gobblers Rest, which is set to be renovated.
“They will have a new roost,” said the National Turkey Federation, which presents the birds at the White House. A spokeswoman said they’d be going “back to Iowa.”
Having them at an agriculture school proved to be good for the birds. Linker said that the school’s veterinarian and poultry students watch carefully over the pardoned turkeys. And he has seen to it that they were put on a special, lower-fat diet.
Linker’s office is next to their pens, he said in a call during which gobbles could be heard.
“Because they’re famous, it’s worth it to us to make sure they stay healthy,” he said, adding, “They are the most photographed turkeys in the world.”
Linker said that while more than 2 years old, Peas and Carrots are well enough to fight and squawk, they look old.
“A year and a half is pretty good, and these guys are 2 1/2 years old,” he said. “None of us look like we did when we were at 18 or 25, and they don’t look as they did at six months, but they’re very healthy, very vocal,” he added.
