Press Releases

Farm Sanctuary Releases Report Assessing Unnatural Breeding Techniques in Industrialized Turkey Production

Farm Animal Protection Organization Releases Never-Before-Seen Video, “Inside a Turkey Breeding Facility”

Watkins Glen, NY – January 9, 2007 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, today released “Unnatural Breeding Techniques and Results in Modern Turkey Production.” The first of its kind, this research report describes the current practice of genetic selection and artificial insemination (AI) within the turkey industry. Farm Sanctuary has also released a companion video which shows the AI process, the “milking” of toms and the insemination of hens at one of the largest turkey breeding facilities in the U.S.

The turkey industry has changed significantly in recent decades, with fewer large companies dominating the production and marketing chain. The number of turkeys slaughtered in the U.S. has increased to nearly 300 million per year. They are crowded into warehouses by the thousands, and have been genetically manipulated to grow twice as fast and twice as large as their wild ancestors so they can be slaughtered as early as 16 weeks of age. Modern turkeys have been so profoundly altered that they can no longer mount and reproduce naturally, and the industry today relies on AI as the sole means of reproduction.

“Intensive turkey production and breeding has resulted in disfigured, unhealthy birds and an industry that requires unnatural measures to produce them,” said Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary. “The conditions under which these birds are kept and the constant forced ‘milking’ and insemination equates to a lifetime of suffering, not only for the individuals exploited for breeding, but also for hundreds of millions of their offspring whose genetic makeup causes health and welfare problems.”

Key findings in this report include:

• Genetic selection through AI is commonly used to enhance the presence of particular production-related traits. Turkey breeders have selected birds who grow fast and large, but these birds are also susceptible to various health problems and suffer as a result. Intensive genetic selection also limits the gene pool, and has made it impossible for commercial turkeys to reproduce naturally.
• Turkeys raised for slaughter in the U.S. endure numerous health and welfare problems, which are a result of both their genetic makeup and the unnatural, overcrowded environments in which they live. Hens and toms used for breeding experience the same inherited genetic problems and unnatural housing conditions as turkeys raised solely for slaughter, but because breeding birds live longer, their problems are magnified. Breeding birds also endure harsh handling as part of the AI process.
• Factory farms rely upon AI to keep their breeding stock to a minimum while maximizing the output of each bird. In turn, this has drastically reduced the genetic diversity of the modern commercial turkey population, making it startlingly susceptible to crippling physical disorders as well as pathogens, death and disease.
• Turkeys and other animals raised for food are excluded from the Federal Animal Welfare Act and from most state anti-cruelty laws. Although a majority of states have laws that prohibit sexual contact with animals, such as that which occurs during AI procedures, farm animals are excluded from these as well.

 “The turkey industry is fixated on economic profitability and the consistency of their ‘product’ with no regard for animal welfare,” Baur said. “We have an ethical obligation to treat all animals, including turkeys, with respect. As this report shows, today’s industrial turkey producers don’t come anywhere close to that.”

Photos, video and the full report, “Unnatural Breeding Techniques and Results in Modern Turkey Production” is available by contacting media@farmsanctuary.org. The video, “Inside a Turkey Breeding Facility” can be viewed at (insert new link for video).

Farm Sanctuary is the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the “food animal” industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, NY, and Orland, CA, provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.