Modern commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for rapid breast muscle growth, causing severe health problems and welfare impacts throughout their lives.
Commercial turkey welfare is fundamentally compromised by genetic selection for rapid, extreme breast muscle growth. The resulting birds cannot support their own weight comfortably, spending increasing time lying down on litter. Leg disorders including tibial dyschondroplasia and degenerative joint disease cause chronic lameness and pain. Heart and lung capacity cannot keep pace with muscle growth, causing acute cardiovascular deaths. The inability to mate naturally means male turkeys never experience natural reproductive behavior. Beak trimming, while reducing injury from aggression, is itself a painful procedure. Higher-welfare alternative systems using slower-growing genetics, more space, and enriched environments exist but are a small minority of production.