Enrichment for farmed turkeys addresses the barren environments that cause feather pecking, head pecking, and chronic behavioural frustration in conventional flocks.
Turkeys in barren intensive conditions redirect exploratory behaviour toward pen-mates, causing feather pecking and head pecking that can be fatal. The combination of barren environment, high stocking density, and fast-growing genetics creates conditions in which injurious pecking is endemic. Simple enrichment measures including straw bales, hanging pecking objects, and elevated resting areas reduce these behaviours significantly. The Christmas and Thanksgiving turkey market drives intensive production of birds that suffer throughout their lives for a single meal event.