Turkeys are highly social and cognitively complex birds whose welfare in conventional farming falls far short of their behavioral needs, but enrichment science offers solutions.
Farmed turkey welfare is severely compromised by selective breeding that has prioritized breast yield over bird health and welfare. Many commercial turkeys cannot mate naturally due to disproportionate body morphology, and leg weakness from rapid growth causes chronic pain in a large proportion of flocks. Environmental enrichment partially ameliorates behavioral deprivation but does not address the fundamental welfare challenge of extreme conformation. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds with better welfare characteristics is the most impactful systemic change available.