How transitioning to slower-growing turkey breeds addresses the root cause of turkey welfare problems.
Turkey breed welfare reform parallels broiler chicken breed reform in its identification of genetic selection for rapid growth as the root cause of chronic welfare problems. When the body of the animal is the source of welfare harm — when growing too fast causes skeletal collapse and cardiovascular failure — no amount of environmental improvement fully compensates. Transitioning to slower-growing genetics addresses the underlying problem, though it requires higher production costs that must be passed to consumers through welfare-differentiated pricing or absorbed through operational efficiency improvements.