Small Turkeys Are In Demand As Americans Downsize At Thanksgiving

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.

"We probably have about 10 people that have asked like, 'I want the smallest turkey you have,' " Rachel said. They raised approximately 70 turkeys this year.

As pandemic restrictions tighten across the U.S., many families are changing the way they're setting the table for Thanksgiving. That means everything from the size of the gathering to the size of the turkey might look different this year.