Commercial turkeys are poorly adapted to heat and face increasing welfare risks from climate change. Understanding heat stress management is critical for turkey welfare in warming UK summers.
Turkey heat stress in UK production is an increasing welfare risk as summer temperatures rise. Large-bodied commercial breeds generate significant metabolic heat that compounds ambient temperature effects. A turkey at 30 degrees C in an inadequately ventilated house is in physiological distress - panting with wings spread, unable to reduce its heat load effectively. Mortality events during heat waves are not uncommon in poorly managed turkey houses. The welfare investment in adequate ventilation - mechanical ventilation with backup generators for power failures - protects birds during the increasingly frequent heat events that characterise UK climate change. Outdoor turkey systems must provide adequate shade across the full range of the flock.