Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred to such extreme body proportions that they cannot mate naturally and face severe leg and cardiovascular problems, with over 600 million farmed globally each year.
Commercial turkey welfare is compromised by the same selective breeding logic that affects broiler chickens: genetic selection for production traits at the expense of biological function. Broad-breasted turkeys experience chronic joint pain, cardiovascular strain, and difficulty moving to food and water as they approach slaughter weight. Skeletal deformities appear early in fast-growing strains, causing progressive lameness. The inability to reproduce naturally represents a fundamental alteration of biological capability that affects both individual welfare and species integrity.