For fodder, let's talk turkey.

• Position: Festive Food - Brief article

It is holiday time, and the eating is good. So, let us get in a "fowl" mood, courtesy of IBISWorld, the Los Angeles, Calif.-based market research organization:

* Thanksgiving and Christmas account for 30% of turkey consumption--a decline from the 1970s when the rate was 50%.

* The average weight of a male turkey has increased from 28 to 40 pounds, due to genetic selection and disease control.

* Turkey production has more than tripled since 1970, due to the popularization of turkey-based products and technological advances that allow efficient year-round breeding.

* Genetic selection, disease control, and better nutrition have contributed to a size imbalance between the turkey sexes. Artificial insemination now is the standard technique for reproduction.

* Three...