Farm Animals

Poultry Welfare: Turkey Hen Welfare Needs

Turkey hen welfare in commercial production receives less attention than broiler welfare, despite significant welfare challenges including environmental complexity and injury risk.

Key Facts

Commercial turkey hens are bred for rapid breast muscle development that affects mobility
Feather pecking and cannibalism are significant welfare problems in poorly enriched turkey flocks
Turkey hens require complex environments with perches, pecking substrates, and adequate space
Welfare outcomes in turkey production are rarely benchmarked with the same rigour as laying hen or broiler systems

Welfare Considerations

Turkey hen welfare is an under-resourced area of welfare science and advocacy. The welfare challenges facing commercial turkeys are substantial and structurally similar to those for broilers, but have attracted less corporate and consumer attention. Increased focus is needed to drive equivalent reform.

What You Can Do

Support organisations extending welfare campaign attention to turkeys
Advocate for turkey welfare benchmarking programmes equivalent to those for broilers and laying hens
Engage with retailers about their turkey welfare sourcing policies