Commercial turkeys are among the most welfare-compromised farmed animals. Selective breeding for extreme breast muscle growth has created birds that struggle to walk, mate naturally, or live long.
Commercial turkey welfare parallels broiler chicken welfare but with additional dimensions of reproductive dysfunction. The extreme muscular development selected for commercial production creates birds that are physiologically unsuited for normal locomotion, mating, and long life. Lameness from leg disorders caused by the weight of over-developed breast muscles affects a large proportion of birds at market weight. The inability to reproduce naturally means every commercial turkey is the product of a welfare-compromising procedure. Heritage breed turkeys, while more expensive, have dramatically better welfare outcomes — they can walk freely, mate naturally, and express a full behavioral repertoire. Consumer choice at holiday periods, when turkey purchases spike, has significant leverage to drive producer transitions toward higher-welfare breeds.