Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred for extreme breast muscle growth that compromises their ability to walk, mate naturally, and live without chronic pain.
Commercial turkey welfare suffers from many of the same selective breeding problems as broiler chicken production, arguably to an even more extreme degree. The inability of commercial turkeys to reproduce naturally is perhaps the most striking indicator of how far selective breeding has diverged from any welfare-compatible norm. Gait scoring studies consistently find high rates of lameness that cause chronic pain and restrict normal behaviour. Cardiovascular and respiratory problems from rapid growth cause further suffering. The solutions are available — slower-growing breeds with more natural body conformation exist and are used in higher welfare systems — but economic incentives strongly favour rapid-growth breeds. Consumer preference for slow-grown, higher welfare turkey products is the primary driver of breed selection change.