Selective breeding for rapid growth and extreme breast muscle development has created chronic welfare problems in commercial turkeys, but reform efforts are demonstrating that welfare-compatible breeds can succeed commercially.
Commercial turkey breeds represent one of the clearest examples of welfare problems created through selective breeding. The extreme breast muscle mass that maximizes meat yield simultaneously causes joint stress, limits mobility, and prevents natural behaviors. Welfare indicators including lameness scores, hock burn rates, and mortality are substantially better in slower-growing breeds. The commercial case for reform has strengthened as consumers and retailers increasingly demand welfare assurances.