The Broad Breasted White is commercially the most widely-used breed of domesticated turkey

Domesticated turkey

The domesticated turkey is a large poultry bird. The modern domesticated form descends from the wild turkey , one of the two species of turkey ; in the past the ocellated turkey was also domesticated.The turkey is raised throughout temperate parts of the world and is a popular form of poultry,...

. These birds have shorter breast bones, exceedingly large breasts, are often very fat, and have shorter legs than "standard" turkeys, rendering them unable to breed without human assistance (typically via In vitro fertilisation

In vitro fertilisation

In vitro fertilisation is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body: in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed...

). They produce more breast meat and their pin feathers are less visible when the carcass is dressed due to their white color. These properties have made the breed popular in commercial turkey production but enthusiasts of slow food

Slow Food

Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of...

 argue that the development of this breed and the methods in commercial turkey production have come at a cost of less flavor.

These birds are grown in large grow-out barns that are fully automated and may house as many as 10,000 birds. The growing process for these birds has been so well refined that birds often grow to larger than 50lbs. Average birds are typically 38-40lbs. Because of their size, they are prone to health problems associated with obesity such as heart disease, respiratory failure and joint damage, and generally have relatively short lives as a result.