Turkeys have more sophisticated cognitive and social abilities than widely recognized, making their conditions in commercial production a significant welfare concern.
Turkeys are among the most cognitively underestimated farm animals. Research documents that they can recognize individual humans, learn through observation, and engage in complex social communication. Their social structures involve recognized individuals and status relationships. Modern commercial turkeys have been bred for such rapid growth that they often develop musculoskeletal problems and cannot mate naturally, requiring artificial insemination for reproduction. Most commercial turkeys spend their lives in crowded sheds unable to express natural behaviors. The combination of cognitive sophistication and extreme welfare compromise in commercial production makes turkey welfare an important but often overlooked issue.