Turkey Welfare In Australia

Facing similar welfare issues to meat chickens, turkeys deserve to be raised to a better standard.

Turkey production in Australia is a relatively small market that is at its peak around the Christmas period, but turkeys can face similar welfare issues to meat chickens and deserve to be raised to a better standard.

Turkeys are mostly raised indoors with some free-range production. RSPCA Certified turkey can come from indoor or free-range systems so long as the farms and abattoirs supplying the turkey have been assessed and certified to the RSPCA Australia Standard for Turkeys.

Watch Video — RSPCA Certified Turkeys

RSPCA Certified
Turkeys

Turkeys on RSPCA Certified farms have more room to move and socialise, perches to build stronger bones and muscles, dry friable litter for dustbathing. Additionally, they are not subjected to painful husbandry procedures such as desnooding, dewinging and toe trimming.

Free-range RSPCA Certified turkey farms also need to meet additional requirements to make sure the outdoor range is inviting and attractive to turkeys, including shade and vegetation.

The Standards Certified Products

Significant welfare problems can be prevented by selection of breeds for slower growth, providing an environment that includes opportunities to perform behaviours that are important for good welfare.

Farm Assessments

RSPCA Certified turkey farms are assessed annually by specially trained RSPCA Assessors, with additional unannounced assessments on top of a routine assessment.

All RSPCA Certified turkey abattoirs have an annual unannounced assessment.

Be Involved Certified Products

Legal requirements for Turkeys

The RSPCA Australia Standard and corresponding certification from RSPCA Certified is just one way the RSPCA works to improve turkey welfare, and ongoing improvements are still needed, particularly to lift minimum legal requirements for farmed animals.

Over the past 50 years, turkey breeding companies have been selecting for production traits such as fast growth, large breast and thigh muscles, and feed efficiency. Similarly to meat chickens, this selection pressure has resulted in significant welfare problems for turkeys.

For turkeys, the RSPCA advocates for legal minimum standards that require selection of breeds for slower growth, provision of more space and adequate lighting in sheds, an environment that includes opportunities for performing natural behaviours, and improved stockpersonship, handling and slaughter.

For more information about key welfare issues for turkeys, and how RSPCA continues to advocate for improvements, visit the RSPCA Australia knowledgebase.

Legal minimum	RSPCA Certified
Up to 46 kg/m2 depending on shed ventilation type	28-35kg/m2 depending on shed ventilation type.
No minimum light or dark period, and minimum light intensity of 2 lux.	From 3 days of age continuous minimum light period of 8 hours, at 20 lux average intensity. Continuous minimum dark period of 4 hours. A minimum of 6 hours total darkness.
No minimum requirement for floor substrate (litter) depth.	Dry, friable litter managed and maintained at a depth of 75mm during growing.
Providing perches is not legally required.	10m per 1000 birds.

Since 2010 3.3 million turkeys have experienced a better quality of life thanks to RSPCA Certified.

RSPCA Standards

Discover the hundreds of requirements outlined in the RSPCA Australia Standard for Turkeys.

RSPCA Standards

Case Studies

ALDI is committed to providing our customers with affordable, sustainable products. We work closely with our supplier partners to ensure our products meet best practice industry standards of animal welfare.