Turkeys are the second most intensively farmed poultry species in the UK. Bred for rapid growth, intensively housed birds face welfare challenges similar to broiler chickens but with turkey-specific behaviours and vulnerabilities.
Turkey welfare in intensive systems reflects many of the same concerns as broiler chickens but amplified by turkey-specific characteristics. Turkeys are highly intelligent, inquisitive birds with complex social behaviours. In barren intensive sheds, feather pecking escalates to cannibalism — the response is typically beak trimming rather than environmental improvement. The inability to reproduce naturally is both a welfare issue for individual birds and a sign of how far commercial genetics have diverged from natural function. Enriched housing with straw bales, perches and natural light significantly reduces feather pecking and lameness. Higher welfare turkey production (traditional breeds, lower stocking density) is niche but growing, driven by consumer demand.