Transport to slaughter is a major welfare risk for farmed turkeys, with catching injuries, heat stress, and deprivation causing significant suffering during a journey that ends at slaughter.
Turkey transport is a welfare bottleneck concentrated into a few hours that may inflict more acute suffering than weeks of farm life. Manual catching of heavy turkeys by untrained catchers causes a high rate of injuries — hips dislocate, wings fracture, and bruising from rough handling is extensive. Mechanical catching systems reduce but do not eliminate injury. Loading into transport crates is stressful: birds are unfamiliar with crates, and competition for space causes trampling and suffocation at corners. Thermal management is critical and difficult — turkeys at high stocking densities generate substantial body heat, and summer transport without adequate ventilation kills birds before they reach slaughter. Water deprivation lasting 12+ hours causes measurable distress in a species well-adapted to drink frequently. Controlled atmosphere stunning at farm level — where birds are killed before transport — eliminates transport stress entirely and is operationally feasible for large units.