Trump's pardoned turkeys lead lavish life
President Trump pardoned two turkeys – named Peas and Carrots – during an annual ceremony on Tuesday.
The turkeys traveled to Washington, D.C., from South Dakota, where a flock of 50 potential candidates hatched in July, according to the administration.
The birds stayed at The Willard Hotel, as is tradition. Rooms at the hotel can cost as much as $6,000 per night for a presidential suite, according to the website, though the National Turkey Federation is expected to foot the bill for the two lucky turkeys.
Carrots weighs in at 41 pounds, while Peas is 39 pounds. These birds were trained to deal with crowds from an early age in preparation for the big day.
After the ceremony, the turkeys will be sent to an enclosure at Virginia Tech called “Gobbler’s Rest,” according to The White House, where they can be seen by visitors and cared for by students. They will join last year’s pardoned turkeys, Wishbone and Drumstick.
The average lifespan for the breed is about 3 years, according to a National Turkey Federation executive.
Unfortunately, most turkeys in the U.S. won’t be awarded the same cushy fate as this year’s chosen ones. According to the National Turkey Federation, about 46 million turkeys were consumed on Thanksgiving Day in 2016, 20 percent of the total amount of turkeys eaten over the course of the entire year. Additionally, a large portion of the birds come from Minnesota.
As previously reported by FOX Business, the cost of turkey has been on the rise, too. Over the past decade, the price per pound of a frozen turkey has risen at least 46 percent.
The turkey tradition began when the National Turkey Federation gave a live bird to President Harry Truman 70 years ago.