If you’ve ever seen a turkey in real life, you may already have questions about the odd birds. Can they fly? Why do they have those dangly things on their faces and necks? How can you tell a male turkey from a female? Can you eat turkey eggs?
One question you’ve probably never asked is, “Do turkeys have to be burped?” But after watching this turkey-burping demonstration, you might (along with about a dozen other questions, starting with “What on Earth did I just watch?”).
Watch:
You’re not alone. So many commenters found themselves in the same boat:
“I am the first in my bloodline to see a turkey burped.”
“Do they explode if you don’t do this ?”
“Why did I just watch a tutorial on burping a turkey?”
“Will I ever be in a situation where I need to burp a turkey? No. Did I watch this to the end? Definitely.”
“Me watching this whole video like I have a turkey to burp.”
The Canadian homesteader who burped her “little dinosaur” Eli in this video shares all kinds of interesting facts about turkeys on her TikTok channel, @tallqueenbaby. She raised Eli from the time he was two weeks old and brings him in front of the camera for a good burping every once in a while.
Why, though? She explained everything in a follow-up video:
Does it stink when the turkey burps?
“It doesn’t smell pleasant,” she said. “They eat grains and corns and things like that and it’s mixed with hot air, so it’s kind of just this weird, unpleasant smell. It’s not something I’d want to smell all the time.”
Do turkeys need to be burped?
“No. It is not a necessity,” she said. “It’s moreso for bonding and for excess relief.”
She explained that both male and female turkeys will strut, puffing out their chests, but male turkeys have a different air sac system, so more air accumulates in them. She added that burping them shouldn’t be done often and can hurt them if not done properly. Therefore, it’s not something to try randomly on your own (in case you had any ideas).
Can wild turkeys be burped?
She doesn’t know. She doesn’t mess with wild turkeys. It’s probably best not to try.
She’s also not the only one sharing turkey burps on TikTok. Here are a few more big burpers:
That air will eventually make its way out of the turkey without any assistance, but we all know how satisfying it is to have a nice, big burp.
Sadly, our little dinosaur friend Eli is no longer with us, as he passed away from an unexpected injury in January 2026. He was a beloved pet, and @tallqueenbaby created a lovely tribute to him on her TikTok channel:
She continues to share videos with Eli from before his passing, and the people who only just met him through his virality are grateful. Eli served as a guardian on the farm, as well as a sweet, feathered friend.
“We truly had a beautiful bond,” she wrote. “He was such a good boy and did his job as protector so well. I’m so grateful to have experienced this.”
You can follow @tallqueenbaby on TikTok to learn more about turkeys.
