Farm Animal Welfare

Farmed Turkey Welfare Hatchery

Turkey welfare begins at hatch, and hatchery practices including chick handling and sexing affect welfare from the earliest stage of life.

Key Facts

Poults (turkey chicks) are highly susceptible to chilling and handling stress at hatch
Male poults grow faster and are preferred for commercial production, creating disposal questions
Transport from hatchery to rearing farm is a stressful welfare event for fragile poults
Early feeding and drinking access is critical for poult welfare and survival
Some hatcheries are implementing in-ovo sexing to avoid male chick culling

Welfare Considerations

Turkey welfare challenges begin at the hatchery and the first few days of life. High poult mortality rates reflect welfare failures at this stage that better hatchery management and reduced handling stress can address.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes requiring hatchery welfare standards for turkeys
Advocate for in-ovo sexing adoption in turkey production to avoid male poult culling
Choose turkey products from farms demonstrating attention to early life welfare