GREENFIELD — When Roger arrived at the home of Mark Nelson, it was meant to be a short-term relationship — he was going to be the main attraction at today’s Thanksgiving feast.
But instead of landing on their table, Roger the turkey will be outside, on the fence, his favorite roosting spot alongside the Nelsons’ other poultry pets — chickens Rosie, which the family purchased around the same time as Roger, and Martha, a rescue.
Since October, Roger has been to the Great Falls Fest, starred in a car commercial and is now making appearances at local schools.
He was purchased in April from a local breeder for $15 and was hand-raised by the Nelson family at their Newcomb Lane home. Originally, the 15-pound turkey was purchased to raise for Thanksgiving dinner – the first time the family did this – but that plan changed quickly.
“We named him, and that was our downfall,” Nelson explained.
“We named him after Roger from ‘American Dad’,” Nelson said. “The character on the show is an alien, and that’s what Roger looks like compared to the rest of them.”
Roger is now 6 months old. At this age turkeys are commonly referred to as “jakes,” while full-grown turkeys are called “toms.” An average domesticated turkey can live up to 10 years.
The family also has the two ducks, but Roger is closest with the two chickens. Martha is the object of his affections.
“He tries to show off for her,” Nelson said. “He’ll strut around and try to get her attention.”
So far, his efforts are futile.
Roger and Rosie spend time together roosting on the Nelson’s chain-link fence around dusk, before Nelson puts them inside of their coop, a dog house.
Roger is the tamest of the Nelson’s poultry pets, willing to walk or get carried while on a leash and harness, or occasionally, allowing the Nelson children to hug him.
“He enjoys being the center of attention,” Nelson said. “He’s a protector because he looks out for the chickens, but he’s also jealous, too. When we pick up one of the ducks, he’ll stare at him as if he’s saying, ‘Why are you being held instead of me?’”
The Nelsons haven’t officially named the ducks, because their three children have their own names for each of them, and the family couldn’t agree on one for each.
Mark and Cassie Nelson’s children, Amelia, 5, Alyssa, 9, and Nicky, 6, each enjoy spending time with Roger.
“He basically saved dad’s life once, so that was cool,” Alyssa said.
Nelson said when he was attempting to removing a bees nest in the yard, and while bees were attempting to sting him through layers of his sweatshirt — Roger was in the yard eating bees.
Nicky said he likes when Roger follows him around the yard.
“He’s funny, he’ll let me hug him,” Nicky said. “It’s not normal to have a turkey as a pet. I like him, and I like when he’ll gobble when we say things to him. He’s really big.”
As Nelson was loading up the car the morning of the Great Falls Festival this year, he thought it might be fun to take Roger, so he grabbed a dog harness and leash and proceeded to the back yard. Nelson said he never imagined that Roger would be so comfortable walking around in a harness, but he did. Roger walked around downtown Turners Falls, and Nelson said he even enjoyed sweet potato fries.
“It was all out of fun, and to have some fun with my kids,” Nelson said.
Nelson said he turned a lot of heads at the annual festival, getting lots of questions about his pet turkey. Though he was only there for two hours, Roger was very popular with the crowd.
Roger stirred enough interest at the festival that he came to the attention of a commercial maker, who has since featured the turkey in a Thanksgiving themed television ad for Honda cars.
Nelson said he drove out to Stowe with Roger in late October to film the commercial, which has since aired in the Boston area. Roger also visited Four Corners School in Greenfield earlier this week.
But Nelson said he had no intention of the family’s turkey becoming famous. Now, Roger has a Facebook page called Roger Turkey and Nelson’s mother is Roger’s “agent.”
“This is the funniest thing that’s happened to this family,” Nelson said. “… He’s got a personality and he’s here to stay.”
Meanwhile, there will be turkey on the table today after all – a wild turkey that Nelson bagged himself. A bird without a name.