By Jon Schuppe
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
INWOOD — Tia Wagner's stepmother wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her past the squawking chickens to a makeshift pen where the turkeys stood.
A worker reached in, grabbed one of the birds and held it by its feet. The turkey struggled. Her stepmother nodded. Tia, 10, squealed and ran to her father outside.
She’d be happy to eat Thanksgiving dinner. She just didn’t want to meet it.
But that’s the point at places like Rapido Live Poultry on Tenth Avenue.
The number of live poultry markets in the five boroughs has doubled in the past decade, to about 100, which the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets attributes to a growing population that prefers fresh birds to those that have been packaged, chilled and stacked at a supermarket.
Many grew up in countries where their families raised livestock. Others want to make sure their birds are killed in accordance with Islamic law. Some just like the taste.
In Manhattan, there are only five places licensed to sell live live chickens, pigeons, ducks, turkeys and the like. Three are on the same commercial district in eastern Inwood, near the intersection of 207th Street and Tenth Avenue. The others are in Harlem.
While some animal-rights advocates have criticized conditions in the markets, the Department of Agriculture and Markets said it regularly inspects them to make sure the birds are healthy and treated humanely.
This is typically the markets’ busiest time of year because of the holidays.
At Rapido Live Poultry, workers are expecting a crush of customers on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.
“People wait until the last minute because they want it fresh,” said one of the workers, who gave only his first name, Mohamed. “We have 150 turkeys waiting for them.”
Up the street, La Granja #1, a larger market that sells rabbits and other non-poultry, seemed busy already. But Manager Henry Fernandez said business has slackened a bit with the economy.
“Fewer people can afford a $40 or $50 live turkey, so they buy a $25 frozen one,” he said.
Instead of the usual 600 or 700 Thanksgiving turkeys, they expect to sell about 400 this year.
Fernandez, 36, will buy one himself and take it to his mother’s home in the Bronx, where his family gathers every year. He said his children regularly come in to pick out live birds to eat. They like it.
Not Tia Wagner.
Her stepmother, Vanessa Rebolledo, 28, grew up on a farm in Ecuador and frequently buys live chickens in New York. But this was her first time buying a live turkey. The family drove from Hells Kitchen because her Thanksgiving recipe calls for two days of marinating, and it was too late to use a frozen bird.
Waiting outside Rapido Live Poultry, her husband, Rich Wagner, said he appreciated the opportunity to show his daughter where her food comes from.
“We’ve become so distanced from what we eat,” he said.
After about 10 minutes, a worker emerged with their turkey in a blue plastic bag. Wagner turned to Tia. “You want to ride in back with it?” he asked.
She scrunched her face and declined.
