Thanksgiving is still several days away — but the federal government is warning that if you’ve got turkey on your holiday menu, might want to start defrosting your bird as soon as possible.

That’s because for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey, it takes a full day — 24 hours — to defrost in the fridge.

That’s the recommendation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which also warns against washing the bird, as that will only spread bacteria around your kitchen.

On its website, foodsafety.gov, the department offers up a cornucopia of other recommendations, including that turkeys should be cooked until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees and that leftovers should be refrigerated within two hours.

The USDA has a year-round hotline for meat and poultry questions, at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).

It’s even available on Thanksgiving Day.