Turkeys raised for food face significant welfare challenges similar to broiler chickens, compounded by extreme selection for breast meat production.
Commercial turkey welfare is compromised by the most extreme selective breeding program in poultry agriculture. Modern commercial turkeys have been bred for breast meat yield to the point that their bodies are physiologically unsustainable - they cannot mate naturally, struggle to walk, and their hearts and lungs are strained by supporting excessive muscle mass. The welfare parallel to broiler chickens is direct, but turkeys have received far less public attention. Birds who cannot walk have restricted access to food and water and experience chronic pain from musculoskeletal problems. The reproductive autonomy of turkeys has been entirely eliminated through mandatory artificial insemination. Higher welfare turkey production using slower-growing genetics would dramatically improve the lives of the birds while producing smaller but healthier animals.