This article is interesting and recounts how Vermont farmers would "drive" turkeys to market in Boston. The idea of herding birds for 200 miles seems an ambitious undertaking. The piece is a bit low on details of how they actually prepped the bird for the journey but there are references if you want to follow it up in more detail.
Here's the link: http://vtdigger.org/2016/11/20/turkey-drives-1800s-version-farm-table/?utm_source=VTDigger+Subscribers+and+Donors&utm_campaign=f503bc35cd-Weekly+Update&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dc3c5486db-f503bc35cd-405601537