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EFSA assesses the welfare of turkeys on farm
EFSA’s scientists have reviewed the latest evidence on the welfare of turkeys and provided a scientific opinion to support possible future EU legislation on the protection of turkeys kept on farm.
Background
· Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) are raised on farms across the EU for meat productionand breeding. They are usually kept indoors.
· Inappropriate housing conditions, management or breeding practices can negatively affect the welfare of turkeys. Indicators of welfare problems are, for example, lameness, foot pad dermatitis, pecking injuries and unfulfilled behavioural needs.
· There is currently no EU legislation specifically for the protection of turkeys on farm, so the general animal welfare provisions laid down in Council Directive 98/58/EC apply.
· This is EFSA’s first scientific opinion on the on-farm welfare of turkeys.
What was EFSA asked to do?
The European Commission requested EFSA to provide a scientific opinion to support possible future EU legislation on the protection of turkeys kept on farm, focusing on:
· Identifying and assessing relevant negative welfare consequences by using animal-based measures (ABMs) associated with on-farm conditions such as litter type, provision of enrichment, outdoor access, required space, group size, and environmental and light conditions.
· Proposing suitable ABMs to be collected at slaughter to assess on-farm turkey welfare.
· Providing recommendations to prevent or mitigate the identified welfare consequences.
How did EFSA carry out this work (and what data were used)?
EFSA reviewed the scientific literature from 1954 to 2025, grey literature and evidence provided by stakeholders during a public call for evidence. Additionally, EFSA used expert group discussion to identify and assess relevant welfare consequences, propose suitable ABMs for welfare monitoring, and provide recommendations for improving turkey welfare on farm.
Based on experts’ input, EFSA developed a behavioural space model to estimate the minimum space for turkeys. This model is based on the space required for turkeys to perform different natural behaviours, including stationary behaviours, dynamic behaviours, other comfort behaviours, wing flapping, dustbathing and strutting. What were the outcomes and their implications?
Outcomes
· Nineteen key welfare consequences were identified for turkeys, including restriction of movement, locomotory disorders, soft tissue lesions and integument damage, inability to perform exploratory or foraging behaviours, cold/heat stress and inability to express nesting behaviour.
· Key factors that increase the risk of poor welfare in turkeys included overcrowding, mutilations, wet litter, lack of environmental enrichment, poor air quality, too low/high temperatures, high hen-to-nest ratios, flock thinning, and feed and water deprivation.
· The behavioural space model indicated that turkeys need at least 0.49 m^2 for 7 kg birds and 0.82 m^2 for 25 kg birds to perform naturally motivated behaviours; this is more space than what is currently provided on farms.
Implications
Turkeys should be kept on dry, friable litter with sufficient space and should have continuous access to feed and water. Their environment should also include structural elements and enrichment such as elevated platforms and materials that allow pecking, exploring and foraging.
Breeding priorities should shift from rapid growth and high body weight towards improved welfare aspects, such as leg health.
It is recommended to avoid mutilations in turkeys, i.e., beak trimming, removal of the snood and toe trimming, as these are painful procedures.
It is recommended to use footpad dermatitis, mortality, plumage damage, carcass condemnations, wounds and breast blisters as ABMs at the slaughterhouse to monitor the welfare conditions of turkeys on farm.
What were the limitations/uncertainties?
While most of the conclusions had a high certainty, the following uncertainties were identified:
Limited scientific literature on the impact of nest availability on the welfare of breeder hens, the impact of hatchery conditions on welfare, and the preferred distance between individual turkeys when space is unlimited.
Gaps in knowledge on optimal group size, amount and distribution of environmental enrichment, appropriate light intensity, breeding goals focusing welfare traits, and the welfare impact of pain relief during and following mutilations.
What are the key recommendations?
Conclusions and recommendations were produced to enhance turkey welfare on farm.
For meat producers, breeding industry and slaughterhouses:
· Increase the space allowance and provide environmental enrichment, including elevated platforms.
· Avoid feed and water deprivation of more than 48 hours for newly hatched poults.
· Avoid the practice of flock thinning.
· Provide a minimum of one nest per four hens in turkey breeder hen flocks, a minimum light intensity of 10 lux, dry and friable litter, and maintain ammonia below 10 ppm and carbondioxide below 2000 ppm.
· Phase out mutilations.
· Prioritise welfare, such as improving leg health when breeding turkeys.
· Engage in data sharing (e.g. on the genetic selection of traits) and harmonisation of welfare-monitoring methods.
· Promote training and calibration of ABM assessors or systems, depending on whether the assessment is done manually or automatically, for assessing the reliability of ABMs.
For researchers:
· Address knowledge gaps on welfare effects of group size, availability of enrichment, light intensity, number of nests per hen, breeding goals and pain relief during mutilations.
· Develop and validate harmonised ABM protocols for on-farm and slaughterhouse use.
Reference
Welfare assessment of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) on farm.
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