For nearly four decades, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line has been a fixture of the Thanksgiving holiday.

First cooked up as a PR stunt, the popular service has expanded in technology and remains rather busy during the holiday season. With Thanksgiving drawing nearer, here are five fun facts about the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line.

• When did the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line first start?

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  The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line first started in 1981. According to Butterball, back then there were only "six home economists" that worked the phone lines to help those in need of help when prepping and cooking their Thanksgiving turkey.

• What are the requirements to work the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line?

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  Butterball does not mess around when it comes to staffing their Turkey Talk-Line. According to 'Mental Floss,' "To be considered for the job, [operators] need to have completed at least four years of a food-related program...There are also lots of registered dieticians on staff, and some of the other employees have worked as chefs or food stylists." In addition, all new operators have to pass "Butterball University," an intense one-day training where operators are "...assigned a specific method of turkey preparation, and spend the day cooking in the Butterball office kitchen." Those methods range from deep frying to grilling and everything in between.

• The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is more than just a phone number.

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  Butterball offers more ways to get its turkey tips to you. While its phone line can still be reached at 1-800-BUTTERBALL, they now have a text line that can be reached at 844-877-3456. There are also live chat options at Butterball.com. Even Amazon Alexa-enabled devices can help! Just say, “Alexa, ask Butterball…” and you can have your question answered ASAP.
• What’s the most commonly asked question at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line?

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  Out of all the questions asked when prepping and cooking you Thanksgiving turkey, the question most often asked is how to properly defrost a turkey, according to 'Mental Floss.'

• How many calls does the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line receive on Thanksgiving?

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  While the service is active from November 1 through December 24, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line's busiest day is on Thanksgiving during which the hotline receives on average 10,000 calls.

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