Commercial turkeys have been bred so intensively for breast meat that many cannot mate naturally, walk comfortably, or live past market age without welfare interventions.
Commercial turkey genetics represent one of the most extreme examples of production-focused breeding compromising animal welfare. Rapid growth outpaces skeletal and cardiovascular development, causing lameness, heart failure, and difficulty accessing food and water. The inability to reproduce naturally is a striking indicator of how far commercial selection has departed from animal biology.