Commercial turkey production has historically focused on reducing negative welfare outcomes like foot problems and disease, but emerging research on turkey positive welfare is revealing that turkeys are far more cognitively and behaviourally complex than their commercial management acknowledges.
Turkeys in barren sheds without enrichment spend disproportionate time in stereotypic or aggressive behaviours that signal unmet behavioural needs. When provided with straw bales, hanging strings, and pecking objects, turkeys show immediate engagement and reduced feather pecking. Object play behaviour — turkeys carrying and sharing objects — is observed in enriched groups and indicates positive affective states. Positive stockmanship during brooding reduces fear of humans, producing calmer birds that are easier to handle and show lower stress responses during routine management. The welfare gap between minimum standard and best practice turkey production is wide but closeable through enrichment investment.