The slaughter of turkeys involves welfare risks at catching, transport, and the kill line that require specific attention given the species' size, sensitivity, and unique physiology.
Turkey slaughter welfare is challenged at every stage. Live shackling of heavy birds causes acute pain from leg joints bearing full body weight — a welfare problem absent in controlled atmosphere systems where birds remain calm in their transport crates. Water bath stunning failures allow birds to enter the kill cone conscious. The physical demands of catching large turkeys under time pressure lead to rough handling and injuries. Turkeys' sensitivity to novelty means the slaughter environment — unfamiliar smells, sounds, and lighting — causes acute fear before stunning even begins. Controlled atmosphere killing, while requiring capital investment, eliminates shackling and provides more reliable unconsciousness at lower welfare cost.