Commercial turkeys have been bred to grow so large so quickly that many cannot reproduce naturally and suffer from chronic musculoskeletal problems. Breed reform is a key welfare intervention.
Turkey breeding has created animals whose bodies work against them — too heavy to move comfortably, unable to reproduce naturally, and prone to cardiovascular failure. The welfare parallels with broiler chickens are direct: extreme selection for growth rate without adequate attention to health has produced chronic suffering at scale. Slower-growing breed alternatives exist and are used in premium welfare markets, demonstrating that high-welfare turkey production is commercially viable at higher price points.