Those numbers guys over at the Wall Street Journal did some crunching and some interviewing and some questioning and have decided that the claim that Americans eat 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving is bunk.

I can't link to the story because it's behind a pay wall. But the reporters say that the number is more likely a total for all of November, and that may even be overstating the number.

They refer to numbers from the National Turkey Federation, which reports Americans now eat 17.6 pounds per person a year -- still well behind chicken, beef and pork, but growing. And it cites numbers from IBISWorld USA, a research firm.

Then it compares to government data on consumption and concludes that if the Thanksgiving day numbers are true, then Americans are eating almost no turkey on other days between October and December considering that Americans ate less than 70 million Turkeys during the fourth quarter last year.

Not sure why there's a need to inflate the numbers, though it may just be an assumption that all turkey bought this time of year gets eaten during holidays only.

So, are you contributing? What are your meat-eating habits?

You declare November 26 Turkey Day and forsake the birds on all other days? You do some of your own presidential-style pardoning?

You going veggie this holiday? Got any good non-meat suggestions?

Chicago Tribune photo of turkeys