THE RSPCA has urged people to spare a thought for battery-bred turkeys, which are now so grotesquely large the males are physically incapable of getting amorous with female turkeys.

The charity revealed that modern turkeys are now bred to such a size they would probably die out without the help of artificial insemination.

The society has condemned the ineffectiveness of basic legislation which, it says, fails to protect many millions of turkeys from a life in which they are denied the opportunity to express natural behaviour like mating, moving around freely and exploring their environment.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Caroline Le Sueur, said: "It is an unpalatable thought for most, but the huge modern turkey would probably not exist without human intervention.

"To achieve maximum yield of the preferred breast meat, male birds have become so large that they can scarcely get close enough to a hen to mate and any attempt could seriously injure the female.

"To maintain these sizes, hens must be artificially inseminated, a process which is highly likely to be stressful for the birds and can lead to injury. If nature was left to its own course, then these larger birds would die out and more naturally proportioned turkeys would survive."

Crammed into a space not much larger than the roasting tin they will be cooked in, many of the UK's turkeys suffer lameness which is linked to their huge size, claims the RSPCA.

In addition, the organisation says that many develop painful skin conditions caused by the dirty litter on which they spend their life.

Ms Le Sueur said: "Consumers can help by asking their supermarket or butcher to stock a range of free-range turkeys."