Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for extreme breast muscle growth, creating serious welfare problems analogous to those in broiler chickens. Welfare reform requires addressing breeding.
Commercial turkey welfare suffers from the same fundamental problem as broiler chicken welfare: selective breeding has prioritized growth rate and breast yield at the cost of basic physiological function. Birds that cannot walk properly, mate naturally, or survive to reproductive age without health intervention are examples of selection creating welfare harm. Turkey welfare reform, like broiler welfare reform, must address breeding practices at source — slower growth, improved leg health selection, and restoration of natural behavioral capacity — alongside environmental improvements.