Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for extreme muscle mass at the cost of serious welfare problems. Improving turkey welfare requires addressing both genetics and farming practices.
The welfare of commercial turkeys is severely compromised by genetics selected for meat yield at the expense of structural soundness and normal physiology. Lameness is endemic in commercial flocks — birds that cannot walk normally cannot access food and water adequately, causing hunger, thirst, and chronic pain. Cardiovascular disease, including aortic rupture, is a common cause of death in rapidly growing turkeys. The inability to mate naturally is itself a welfare indicator of how far commercial genetics have deviated from normal function. Slaughter welfare varies significantly — electrical waterbath stunning, which is the most common method, is not always effective for all birds in the flock. Controlled atmosphere killing with inert gases or CO2 is increasingly recognised as a more reliable stun-kill method for commercial turkeys.