Commercial turkeys face welfare challenges similar to broiler chickens — extreme growth rates cause health problems while barren environments prevent natural behaviors.
Turkey welfare suffers from the same fundamental problem as broiler chicken production: genetic selection for maximum growth at the expense of health, mobility, and basic functionality. The inability of commercial turkeys to mate naturally is perhaps the most striking indicator of how far selection has distorted their biology. Welfare-compromised turkeys cannot walk normally, struggle to thermoregulate, and are highly susceptible to cardiovascular collapse. Slower-growing heritage breeds maintain far better health, mobility, and behavioral repertoire, but represent a small fraction of commercial production. The behavioral environment for commercial turkeys is also impoverished — barren barns prevent foraging, social exploration, and the dustbathing and perching behaviors the species is strongly motivated to perform.