Commercial turkeys are among the most welfare-compromised farmed animals due to fast-growing breeds, but enrichment provision can partially offset behavioral deprivation.
Turkey enrichment partially addresses the behavioral deprivation of commercial housing systems, but cannot compensate for the fundamental welfare problems created by fast-growing breed selection. Hanging objects satisfy pecking motivation and reduce cannibalistic behavior, but the leg disorders, cardiovascular problems, and respiratory disease caused by excessive growth rate remain. Enrichment provision should be seen as a complement to breed reform, not a substitute for it. The welfare improvement from adding straw bales and novel objects to commercial turkey houses is real but modest compared to the improvement from transitioning to slower-growing breeds.