Abstract
High market demand for high-quality chicken paws, as well as their role in the assessment of the welfare of broiler chickens are the main reasons for the research in this area. In order to determine the effects of rearing system and the body weight of moderate growing broilers on the frequency and severity of incidence of footpad dermatitis, experimental research was conducted on a total of 300 Redbro chickens reared in free range and floor system in the production facility until the age of 84 days. Based on an individual weighing of broilers and visual evaluation of the incidence and severity of footpad lesions at the end of the experiment, the frequency of the individual scores for footpad dermatitis was determined, as well as the average score in each of the five weight groups. The effect of body weight on the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis was not statistically confirmed, but the absence of the most difficult forms of footpad dermatitis in broiler group with the lowest body weight was recorded. Rearing broiler chickens in free range system manifested a positive effect in terms of increased frequency of broilers without lesions and less frequency of moderate and severe lesions in relation to rearing system in the production facility. Also, the effect of rearing system on the frequency of the most severe degree of dermatitis in broilers Redbro was statistically confirmed.
Highlights
Contact lesions on the plantar surface of the feet are usually defined as footpad dermatitis
In order to determine the effects of rearing system and the body weight of moderate growing broilers on the frequency and severity of incidence of footpad dermatitis, experimental research was conducted on a total of 300 Redbro chickens reared in free range and floor system in the production facility until the age of 84 days
Test results did not confirm the hypothesis of a negative effect of higher body weight of Redbro broilers on score frequency, and the incidence and severity of footpad lesions (Table 1)
Summary
Contact lesions on the plantar surface of the feet are usually defined as footpad dermatitis. These are inflammatory lesions that are ranked based on the size of the affected area and its depth. Factors that have been identified as important for the development of contact dermatitis in broiler production conditions are temperature and humidity, the quality and type of litter, stocking density, photoperiod, the composition of the mixture for feeding, types and distribution of drinkers and season (Ferrante et al, 2006; Bilgili et al, 2006; Škrbić et al, 2009; Škrbić et al, 2012; Meluzzi et al, 2008). A higher frequency incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis cases were determined compared to female animals (Bilgili et al, 2006), which may be associated with greater body weight and more intensive contact with the litter. There are conflicting data on the effect of gender on the occurrence of footpad dermatitis (Kjaer et al, 2006), as well as the data confirming the connection between gender and body mass of chickens and footpad dermatitis (Nagaraj et al, 2007)
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