Commercial turkeys spend their entire lives in large barren houses without access to outdoor environments, and welfare improvements center on enrichment, reduced stocking density, and better breed genetics.
Commercial turkey welfare combines the breed welfare problems of extreme growth genetics with housing conditions that prevent natural behavior. Large, barren houses with thousands of birds provide no opportunity for the foraging, social interaction, and exploration that turkeys perform extensively when given the opportunity. Lighting programs that minimize activity also suppress natural behavioral motivation. Higher-welfare turkey production — natural lighting, enrichment, outdoor access, and appropriate genetics — demonstrates that turkey farming can be conducted with substantially better welfare outcomes than the conventional industry.