Turkeys from Sampson County, N.C. gobbled up all the attention Tuesday at the White House.

President Donald Trump continued a decades-old tradition, pardoning this year’s Thanksgiving birds, named Bread and Butter.

“Wow, that’s a strong bird,” the president said, speaking at the Rose Garden ceremony.

Wellie Jackson, a farmer from Clinton, N.C., raised the two turkeys. He said as a turkey grower, it “doesn’t get any better than this.”

He remembered the shock he experienced when he learned that he was selected to raise the birds.

“The kids said, 'You’ve either won the lottery or seen a ghost. We don’t know which one it was,'” he said.

For weeks, Bread and Butter went into training, listening to the radio and spending time around people - all to make sure they were well-behaved during their moment in front of the cameras.

“We want them to be good boys and not do something crazy,” Jackson said.

But the fame has not only meant work for Bread and Butter. This week, they got pampered at a DC Hotel near the White House.

This is not the first time a North Carolina gobbler has been spared the oven courtesy of the President of the United States. The last time was back in 2009. 

The tradition of pardoning turkeys dates to the George HW Bush era.

Jackson said he is proud to represent the Tar Heel State on the national stage.

“I am thankful that I get to do my best to feed to the world -- and provide a good, healthy, humane meal in front of them,” he said.

And no doubt Bread and Butter are thankful they are not on the menu this holiday.

The turkeys will retire to to facility at Virginia Tech University.