What breed of turkey is most commonly raised for commercial meat production?

The Broad Breasted White is the turkey breed most commonly raised for commercial meat production.

Broad Breasted Whites were developed specifically for efficient modern poultry production. They grow quickly, convert feed into meat effectively, and develop a large amount of breast muscle, making them well suited to the consumer preference for white breast meat.

Their broad body and heavy breast are also their main limitation. The breed’s breast development can become so pronounced that mature birds often have difficulty mating naturally, so commercial producers commonly rely on artificial insemination. The birds are generally raised for meat rather than for maintaining a self-sustaining breeding population.

Heritage breeds such as Royal Palm, Narragansett, and Bourbon Red remain important in small farms, conservation programs, and specialty markets. They are generally more active and better able to reproduce naturally, but they grow more slowly and produce less meat. The Broad Breasted White dominates commercial production because its body shape and growth rate are optimized for large-scale processing.