Providing environmental enrichment to commercial turkeys reduces injurious pecking, improves welfare indicators, and demonstrates that good management and welfare are compatible.
Commercial turkey welfare has historically received less attention than broiler chicken welfare despite comparable scale and welfare challenges. Enrichment interventions are well-documented to reduce injurious pecking without compromising production performance, making them both welfare-positive and commercially sensible. The strong foraging motivation of turkeys means that provision of appropriate substrate materials satisfies fundamental behavioural needs denied in barren intensive housing.