Commercial turkeys are raised in large flocks in enclosed houses with significant welfare challenges related to stocking density, genetics, and environmental quality.
Commercial turkey housing causes systematic welfare deprivation. The same growth genetics that create leg and cardiovascular problems in broilers affect turkeys even more severely — modern turkeys carry such extreme breast muscle mass that locomotion is impaired in a significant proportion of flocks. High-density housing prevents expression of natural exploratory and social behaviors. Without environmental enrichment — perches, straw bales, objects to investigate — turkeys develop aggressive pecking behaviors that injure other birds. Respiratory disease from poor ventilation, as with broilers, causes chronic lung damage. The complete dependence on artificial insemination — a consequence of extreme breeding — represents a loss of natural reproductive behavior. Improving turkey welfare requires slower-growing genetics, lower stocking density, and enriched housing environments.