Commercial turkey hens face a range of serious welfare challenges including health problems from selective breeding, inadequate environmental enrichment, and management practices that restrict natural behaviors.
Turkey farming presents concentrated welfare challenges rooted in decades of selective breeding for rapid growth and large breast muscle mass. The resulting birds are physiologically compromised, with skeletal systems and cardiovascular capacity struggling to keep pace with their accelerated growth rate. Lameness, joint pain, and heart failure are common in commercial flocks. Beyond the physical consequences of breeding, the environmental conditions in which most commercial turkeys are kept provide minimal opportunity for behavioral expression. Turkeys are social, curious birds capable of complex behaviors, yet commercial barns typically offer uniform, barren environments. Welfare science supports the use of lower stocking densities, environmental enrichment, and slower-growing breeds as meaningful improvements to turkey husbandry.