Commercial turkeys face significant welfare challenges due to intensive selection for rapid growth, including locomotion problems, cardiovascular disease, and behavioural restriction.
The welfare of commercial turkeys is heavily compromised by breeding for extreme growth rates. Lameness, cardiovascular failure, and behavioural frustration are endemic in fast-growing commercial strains. Transitioning to slower-growing breeds, improving environmental enrichment, and providing appropriate space would deliver substantial welfare improvements for the approximately 600 million turkeys raised globally each year.