Breast blisters are a common welfare problem in commercial turkeys caused by friction between the keel bone and hard or wet flooring, particularly in heavy breeds near slaughter weight.
Breast blisters cause both acute and chronic pain in turkeys, reducing their willingness to move to feed and water and compromising welfare across multiple domains. The problem is exacerbated by the same selection pressure for rapid breast muscle growth that drives broiler welfare problems. Prevention requires a combination of breed selection, litter quality and stocking density management.