** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A LEADING CAUSE OF EUTHANASIA AND DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES TURKEY INDUSTRY IS INJURIOUS PECKING BEHAVIOR AND CANNIBALISM BETWEEN BIRDS. THE CAUSE OF INJURIOUS PECKING IS COMPLEX AND UNDERSTUDIED IN TURKEYS, SO IT IS DIFFICULT TOPREVENT THE BEHAVIOR ALTOGTHER OR EVENREDUCEIT ONCE IT BEGINS. OUR GOAL IS TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NUTRITION AND POSSIBLE UNDERLYING BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSES OF INJURIOUS PECKING. OUR SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO EVALUATE HOW DIET AFFECTSBIRDS' BEHAVIORAL MOTIVATIONS FOR FORAGING OR SOCIAL DOMINANCEAND/OR THEIR GUT HEALTH, AS WELL ASHOW THOSE FACTORS RELATE TO INJURY PREVALENCE. OUR RESULTS AIM TO IDENTIFY THE BEST NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES TO RECOMMEND TO PRODUCERSFOR LIMITINGINJURIOUS PECKING IN THEIR FLOCKS. WE ALSO AIMTO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEMOST PREVALENT UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THE BEHAVIORIN ORDER TO DEVELOP FURTHER RESEARCH ON EFFECTIVE PREVENTION STRATEGIES. BY REDUCING THIS BEHAVIOR AND ITS ASSOCIATED MORTALITY, THESE FINDINGS COULD ALLEVIATE ECONOMIC LOSSES FOR TURKEY PRODUCERS AND RESULT IN MORE AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE TURKEY PROTEIN FOR CONSUMERS.