Commercial turkeys have been selectively bred to grow so large that many cannot reproduce naturally and suffer from the same mobility problems as fast-growing broilers. Their welfare challenges are largely invisible to consumers.
Commercial turkey welfare illustrates the extremes of productive trait selection at the expense of basic functional welfare. The breeding of turkeys to be so heavily muscled that natural reproduction is impossible represents a fundamental welfare compromise built into the genome of all commercial turkey strains. These birds struggle to move, experience cardiovascular stress from their body mass, and are prone to aortic rupture and skeletal disorders. This is not a management problem that can be solved through better husbandry — it is a genetic problem requiring selection for different traits. Heritage turkey breeds that can walk, mate naturally, and express normal turkey behavior demonstrate what these birds could be if selection prioritized function alongside productivity. The welfare case for heritage breeds is clear; the market challenge is significant.