Turkeys are farmed in millions yet receive far less welfare attention than chickens. Their specific welfare challenges demand the same scrutiny applied to the broiler industry.
Turkey welfare in commercial production mirrors the broiler welfare crisis almost exactly: extreme growth genetics producing birds whose bodies cannot sustain them, high-density housing in barren environments, painful management procedures to address welfare problems caused by the production system, and a consumer base largely unaware of production conditions. The additional complication in turkeys is reproductive incompetence — broad-breasted turkeys cannot mate naturally, requiring artificial insemination of all commercial breeding hens. This adds a layer of welfare concern absent from most other farmed species. Consumer campaigns have been slower to address turkey welfare, leaving the industry several years behind broiler reform in responding to welfare pressure. The gap represents both a welfare failure and an advocacy opportunity.