Commercial turkey production combines genetic selection for extreme muscle development with intensive housing, creating significant welfare challenges that reform efforts are beginning to address.
Commercial turkey welfare is compromised at the most fundamental level - by the genetic selection that has created animals poorly adapted to their own bodies. Turkeys bred for maximum breast muscle experience the equivalent of cardiovascular and respiratory disease as a normal consequence of their conformation. The walking difficulties caused by body shape mean many birds spend extended periods on the litter, causing breast blisters and hock burns. These are not aberrant welfare failures but predictable consequences of breeding choices. The availability of slower-growing breeds that show dramatically better welfare outcomes demonstrates that commercial production and welfare are not inherently incompatible - the choice is whether to prioritize them.