Turkeys are inquisitive, social birds that benefit greatly from enrichment including perches, pecking substrates, and visual barriers that reduce aggression and improve welfare.
Turkeys are highly curious birds whose behavioral needs are largely ignored in standard commercial production. Providing simple enrichment transforms the behavioral landscape of turkey houses. Straw bales for pecking and scratching, visual barriers that break up line-of-sight dominance displays, and hanging objects that engage exploratory behavior all address behavioral needs at minimal cost. The reduction in injurious pecking with enrichment has welfare and economic benefits simultaneously, making it one of the strongest welfare investment cases available to turkey producers.