Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for extremely large breast muscles, causing significant welfare problems analogous to those in fast-growing broiler chickens.
Commercial turkey production involves the same fundamental welfare problem as broiler chicken production: extreme selective breeding for growth and breast meat has created birds whose bodies work against their welfare. The inability of commercial turkeys to mate naturally — requiring artificial insemination for all commercial production — is itself an indicator of how far from natural the breeding program has gone. Leg disorders, cardiovascular problems, and respiratory issues follow from the same growth-rate selection pressures. Heritage breed alternatives demonstrate that turkeys can be farmed with dramatically better welfare outcomes, though at higher cost and slower growth rates.