Modern commercial turkey breeds have been selectively bred for extreme growth rates that cause chronic health problems and significantly compromise their welfare throughout their short lives.
Commercial turkey breeds are the product of decades of selection for maximum breast meat yield at minimum time. The welfare consequences are severe and inherent to the breed itself. Turkeys bred to grow so fast that their cardiovascular system cannot keep pace, whose legs collapse under body weight, and who cannot even mate naturally because their breast meat has made them physically incompatible are animals whose suffering is built into their genetics. This is systemic welfare failure: even under ideal housing conditions, the breed itself causes suffering. Heritage breeds that grow more slowly, maintain normal body proportions, and can reproduce naturally represent a welfare improvement, though intensive housing of any breed creates additional problems.