NC State Chosen as Home for 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys
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Collapse ▲NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has once again been selected as the home to the official National Thanksgiving Turkey and his alternate. This year’s pair of pardoned turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, will make their way to North Carolina following the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation at the White House on Nov. 25.
While in Washington, the National Turkey Federation will formally present President Donald Trump with the two birds, marking 78 years of the White House Thanksgiving turkey pardoning tradition.
Gobble and Waddle strut the red carpet in Washington, D.C., as they arrive for the 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.
The two handsome toms are North Carolina natives, raised by Travis and Amanda Pittman on their farm in Wayne County — one of the state’s top poultry-producing regions.
The birds will return to custom, climate-controlled quarters at NC State under the expert care of CALS poultry specialists and students. This is NC State’s second time serving as the home of the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, having also welcomed Chocolate and his alternate, Chip, to Raleigh in 2022.
CALS Dean Garey Fox will join the turkey festivities in D.C., highlighting the importance of the poultry industry and poultry science in North Carolina. As North Carolina’s No. 1 agricultural commodity, poultry contributes about $40 billion to the state’s economy each year.
“It’s an honor for all of us at NC State to once again welcome the National Thanksgiving Turkeys to Raleigh,” said Fox. “Poultry is a cornerstone of North Carolina agriculture and a vital part of our state’s cultural and economic heritage. This tradition shines a national spotlight on the people, partnerships and science that make the industry prosperous, and CALS is proud to help lead the way.”
Frank Siewerdt, head of the Prestage Department of Poultry Science in CALS, says caring for the pardoned birds is a boon to the department, helping raise awareness of the university’s poultry science facilities and expertise.
“We’re excited to welcome the turkeys to our research farm, which creates an incredible opportunity to showcase the strengths of our poultry science programs and the impact our people make every day,” Siewerdt said. “Prestage is one of only six poultry science departments in the country, and we produce close to one-third of our nation’s poultry science graduates.
“These turkeys can help us tell that story, promote the importance of North Carolina poultry and maybe even inspire the next generation of animal scientists.”
CALS Dean Garey Fox meets Gobble and Waddle, the 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys, at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C., the day before their White House presentation.
The birds will also serve as educational ambassadors for CALS and the state’s poultry industry at events like Farm Animal Days, Ag Awareness Week and the State Fair.
Agriculture drives more than $100 billion of North Carolina’s economy each year, with poultry at the forefront. North Carolina ranks No. 1 nationally in both turkey and total poultry production by weight, supporting nearly 150,000 jobs across more than 5,000 farms statewide.
The presentation of the National Thanksgiving Turkey has been observed since 1947 when President Harry Truman first received a live turkey from the National Turkey Federation.
The Power of Poultry
- N.C. is the No. 1 producer of turkeys by weight (nationally)
- N.C. is No. 2 by headcount (~27 million turkeys in 2024)
- N.C. accounts for over 15% of total U.S. turkey output by weight
- N.C. is No. 1 in total poultry production (nationally)
- There are more than 5,000 poultry farms in N.C.
- Poultry is the top segment of N.C. agriculture ($100+ billion industry)
- N.C. produces almost 10% of the nation’s poultry
- N.C. poultry accounts for nearly 150,000 jobs
(Source: N.C. Poultry Federation)