Commercial turkeys face severe welfare challenges related to selective breeding for rapid growth, crowded housing conditions, and limited understanding of their complex behavioral needs.
The welfare problems faced by commercial turkeys are in many ways more severe than those affecting broiler chickens, yet they have attracted far less public attention and regulatory action. The fundamental conflict between extreme growth selection and basic welfare - the inability to walk properly, to reproduce naturally, to express normal social behaviors - represents a profound welfare compromise that cannot be addressed through minor husbandry improvements alone. A shift toward slower-growing breeds with more space and behavioral enrichment is achievable within commercial economics, as demonstrated by alternative production systems.