Turkeys are farmed in vast numbers under intensive conditions that cause widespread health problems driven by extreme genetic selection for breast muscle growth at the expense of mobility and basic physical function.
Turkey welfare parallels broiler chicken welfare in its scale and severity, yet receives far less public attention. Extreme selective breeding for maximum breast muscle has created birds that struggle to walk, cannot reproduce without artificial insemination and experience chronic skeletal and cardiovascular stress throughout their shortened lives. Lameness causes pain that suppresses feeding and social behavior, contributing to further welfare deterioration. Most turkeys are raised in large windowless barns with minimal enrichment, preventing the expression of natural behaviors including foraging, perching and social display. Welfare improvements require both breed reform toward slower-growing varieties and environmental enrichment standards that allow basic behavioral expression.