Lucy Siegle has been writing in The Observer this week on "What's the
best way to choose a turkey?"
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/14/choosing-a-turkey

"Twelve months ago there were hysterical fears of a shortage of right-
on, organic, heritage turkeys - a panic that's unlikely to hit this
year. In these comparatively frugal times, for the £13 per kg upwards
price tag for an organic bird, you'd expect not just to make stock
from the leftovers but to wear the carcass as a necklace. So stand by
for turkey downgrading.

"Environmentally, of course, it would be better if we all changed to
nut roast. Still, it would be far worse if we switched to beef, which
has an energy-consumed-to-protein-produced ratio of 54:1, compared
with turkey's comparatively reasonable 13:1. However, by that
thinking we should all swap a turkey for a couple of broiler
chickens, with a lightweight 4:1 ratio. Although, of course, broiler
chickens represent an ethical nightmare in terms of animal welfare,
and, according to many critics, indirect pollution and degradation.

"Another problem with the contemporary turkey is that it has been hit
by a homogeneity crisis. The commercial turkey is nearly always a Big
White, born to be obese, selected for rapid growth and high meat
yields. Taste-wise it is little more than a protein sponge for gravy,
lacking all the subtle flavours of its forefathers."

She says she found this book about turkeys absolutely fascinating:
"More Than a Meal: The Turkey in History, Myth, Ritual and Reality"
http://www.Amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1930051883/sunflowerheal-21
Which examines the cultural and literal history, as well as the natural history
and biological needs and concerns of turkeys and explores how turkeys came to be
seen as birds who were not only the epitome of failure or stupidity but also the
suitable centerpiece of the celebration of freedom in the American tradition of
"Thanksgiving".

The book takes us back to European folklore about turkeys, the myths,
fairytales, and downright lies told about turkeys and their habits
and habitats. She shows how turkeys in the wild have complex lives
and family units, and how they were an integral part of Native
American and continental cultures and landscape before the Europeans
arrived.
The authoress analyses our paradoxical, complex, and even "bestial" relationship
not just with turkeys, but with all birds, and thus with all other animals. She
examines how our treatment of animals shapes our other values about ourselves,
our relationship with other human beings, and our attitude toward the land,
nation, and the world.