Integrating Environmental Enrichment in Turkey Production: Molecular, Biochemical, Welfare and Economic Perspectives.

Elevated platform enrichment in turkeys improves body weight, IGF-1 expression, immune response, and net profit by 17%.

This controlled experimental study evaluated two environmental enrichment (EE) strategies in commercial turkey production over 7 weeks using 4,500 one-day-old unsexed poults divided into three groups: control (C), perches with hanging colored balls (P), and elevated platforms termed 'turkey tree' (TT). Both EE interventions demonstrated measurable improvements across welfare, production, and economic metrics. The TT group achieved an 8% increase in final body weight (P<0.001) and a 17.2% increase in net profit despite higher implementation costs. Perch enrichment significantly increased foraging behavior and enhanced antibody titers against avian influenza by 39% compared to controls (P<0.05). Both enriched groups exhibited improved lipid profiles (P<0.01) and reduced aggressive behaviors. A notable molecular finding was the 1.6-fold upregulation of IGF-1 gene expression in thigh muscle tissue of TT birds (P<0.05), representing a novel contribution to understanding how physical EE influences growth-related gene expression in poultry. Histopathological examination revealed no tissue abnormalities across groups. Behavioral monitoring indicated differential modulation of maintenance behaviors in enriched groups. These findings suggest that early integration of structural EE, particularly elevated platforms, into turkey housing systems can simultaneously address welfare concerns such as injurious pecking, support immunocompetence, promote growth performance through molecular pathways, and improve economic efficiency. The study provides practical evidence supporting EE adoption in commercial turkey operations.

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