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Animals in Entertainment > Television, Film and Print Media
Inside a Turkey Breeding Facility
Like other segments of agriculture, the turkey industry has changed significantly in recent decades, as fewer large companies have come to dominate the production and marketing chain. As the industry has changed, so has the basic genetic makeup of the birds. Today’s commercial turkeys are virtually unrecognizable from their sleek, wild ancestors.
Turkey breeders and growers have increased the “efficiency” of producing turkey meat by manipulating every aspect of the animals’ lives – from literally the moment of their conception to slaughter. Birds are selectively bred for production-related traits, such as fast growth and large, fleshy bodies. But, in doing so, the industry has also created significant animal welfare problems. Today’s domesticated turkeys are anatomically manipulated to be so heavy and large breasted, because breast meat is the most desirable and therefore commands the best price, that they are now incapable of breeding naturally. Practically all of the turkeys raised commercially in the United States are the result of artificial insemination (AI). Their abnormally configured bodies, as well as their intensive confinement, result in health problems, including painful leg and joint disorders, lameness, heart disease, and weakened immune systems.
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