The 2006 National Thanksgiving Turkey and its alternate are from Monett, Missouri and were raised under the direction of National Turkey Federation Chairman Mike Briggs. Mr. Briggs delegated the day-to-day responsibilities to Lynn Nutt of Monett. The birds are commercial turkeys used in normal industry production, and they were raised using the same techniques as other commercial birds. They were fed a regular diet of corn and soybean meal and were provided a continuous supply of fresh water.

A few minor modifications were made to prepare the birds for the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. About 30 turkeys were removed from the normal commercial production flock and are being raised separately on Nutt’s farm. The birds are periodically hand fed and given additional interaction with people in an effort to acclimate them.