Commercial turkeys face serious welfare challenges including breast blisters, hock burns, and leg problems driven by rapid growth selection and flooring conditions. Understanding these issues is key to demanding better.
Breast blisters and hock burns are welfare outcome indicators that reveal systematic problems in commercial turkey production. A flock with high blestering rates has wet, ammonia-contaminated litter and overcrowded conditions that prevent birds from keeping the keel off the ground. These lesions are painful and become infected. Gait impairment means many turkeys cannot access food and water adequately, compounding poor welfare. The root cause — selection for extreme breast mass — is not addressed by litter management alone. Welfare improvement requires slower-growing breeds, lower stocking densities, and litter management standards with teeth. Currently, welfare outcome monitoring at slaughter (footpad scoring, breast lesion scoring) is the most reliable signal of farm conditions.