Footpad Dermatitis In Broiler Chickens Research Articles

Litter quality and incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis in heat stressed broiler chickens fed supplemental zinc

In this study, we evaluated the effect of dietary Zn supplementation on growth performance, serum Zn concentration, litter quality attributes, and occurrence of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens subjected to chronic heat stress. The study was conducted using a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary Zn oxide supplementation (0 and 70 mg/kg) and temperature (thermoneutral and chronic heat stress) in a completely randomized design. Five hundred forty-four 1-d-old male broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 4 experimental treatments with 8 replicate pens per treatment having 17 chickens in each replicate pen. Broiler chickens were fed corn-soybean meal-based basal diets for starter (0 to 10 d), grower (10 to 24 d), and finisher (24 to 42 d) growth periods with or without 70 mg/kg supplemental Zn oxide. Growth performance was recorded in terms of body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Serum Zn concentration and occurrence of footpad dermatitis were evaluated at d 14, d 28, and d 42 of experiment. Litter quality attributes were measured at d 1 and d 42 of the experiment except ammonia volatilization that was measured at d 28 and d 42 of the experiment. There was no interaction between dietary Zn and temperature for growth performance, serum Zn concentration, litter quality, and occurrence of FPD. Dietary Zn supplementation had no effect on overall growth performance, serum Zn, and litter quality of broiler chickens. However, supplemental Zn reduced the occurrence of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens at the end of experiment (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens subjected to heat stress had lower overall BWG (P = 0.002) and FI (P = 0.001). Serum Zn concentrations were similar regardless of the temperature. Chronic heat stress increased the litter pH (P = 0.001), moisture (P < 0.001), temperature (P < 0.001) at d 42, and ammonia volatilization at d 28 (P < 0.001) and d 42 (P < 0.001). Incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis was greater in broiler chickens subjected to chronic heat stress (P < 0.01). Findings of our study indicate that heat stress results in poor growth performance and increases the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis by lowering the litter quality in broiler chickens. In addition, dietary Zn supplementation may lower the occurrence of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens without affecting the growth performance, serum Zn, and litter quality.

Objective scoring of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens using image segmentation and a deep learning approach: camera-based scoring system

ABSTRACT 1. Footpad dermatitis (FPD) can be used as an important indicator of animal welfare and for economic evaluation; however, human scoring is subjective, biased and labour intensive. This paper proposes a novel deep learning approach that can automatically determine the severity of FPD based on images of chicken’s feet. 2. This approach first determined the areas of the FPD lesion, normal parts of each foot and the background, using a deep segmentation model. The proportion of the FPD for the chicken’s two feet was calculated by dividing the number of FPD pixels by the number of feet pixels. The proportion was then categorised using a five-point score for FPD. The approach was evaluated from 244 images of the left and right footpads using five-fold cross-validation. These images were collected at a commercial slaughter plant and scored by trained observers. 3. The result showed that this approach achieved an overall accuracy and a macro F1-score of 0.82. The per-class F1-scores from all FPD scores (scores 0 to 4) were similar (0.85, 0.80, 0,80, 0,80, and 0.87, respectively), which demonstrated that this approach performed equally well for all classes of scores. 4. The results suggested that image segmentation and a deep learning approach can be used to automate the process of scoring FPD based on chicken foot images, which can help to minimise the subjective bias inherent in manual scoring.

Effect of high stocking density and dietary nano-zinc on growth performance, carcass yield, meat quality, feathering score, and footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

In this study, effect of dietary nano-Zn and stocking density on performance, carcass yield, meat quality, and feathering score of broiler chickens was assessed at 42 d of age. Experimental treatments consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of stocking density (low = 12 broiler/m2 and high = 18 broiler/m2) and dietary Zn form (inorganic or nano). Four hundred eighty 1-d-old male broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 8 pens in each treatment having 15 chickens per pen. Corn-soybean meal diets were formulated for starter, grower, and finisher phases. The high stocking density (HSD) negatively affected body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) of broiler chickens at 24 to 42 and 0 to 42 d of experiment (P < 0.05) but did not affect feed conversion ratio (FCR). The BWG (d 10 to 24, d 24 to 42, and d 0 to 42) and FI (d 10 to 24 and d 0 to 42) were negatively affected by dietary nano-Zn whereas, FCR was poor at 10 to 24 d only (P < 0.05). Dietary nano-Zn lowered the BWG at d 24 to 42 (P = 0.028), and FI of LSD and HSD treatments at d 24 to 42 and 0 to 42 (P = 0.019 and P = 0.028, respectively) compared to broiler chickens of LSD group fed inorganic Zn. Neither HSD nor nano-Zn had any effect on the relative yields of carcass, breast, and thigh. Meat quality traits were not affected by either HSD or nano-Zn. There were no differences between groups about back feathering score. However, HSD negatively affected wing feathering score (P < 0.05), and the worst score was observed in HSD dietary inorganic Zn group (P < 0.01). The HSD increased the footpad dermatitis (FPD) scores of chickens at d 24 and 42 (P < 0.01). Dietary nano-Zn reduced the FPD scores on d 24 (P < 0.05) but did not affect FPD on d 42. In conclusion, HSD negatively affected growth performance, wing feathering score, and FPD score in broiler chickens. Dietary nano-Zn suppressed the growth performance of broiler chickens subjected to HSD and did not affect the feathering, however, reduced the FPD score in broiler chickens.

Orange corn diets associated with lower severity of footpad dermatitis in broilers

Footpad dermatitis (FPD), damage and inflammation of the plantar surface of the foot, is of concern for poultry because FPD affects the birds' welfare and production value. Footpad dermatitis is painful and causes costly chicken paw downgrades, carcass condemnations, and reduced live weights. However, a universal preventative has not been found. The hypothesis was that diets containing orange corn, when compared with diets containing yellow or white corn, would reduce the severity of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens on wet litter. When compared with yellow and white corn, orange corn contains higher quantities of carotenoids, antioxidant pigments, believed to play a role in skin and feather health. This experiment was a randomized block, 3 × 2 factorial design: orange, yellow, and white corn diets with birds raised on wet or dry litter (control group). Female Ross 708 broilers (n = 960) were used to create 4 replicates of each diet x litter treatment combination. Footpads were scored at day 19, 27, 35, and 42, following the Global Animal Partnership standard's 0–2 scale of visual increasing severity: 0 indicates minimal damage and 1 and 2 indicate mild to severe lesions and ulceration, dark papillae, and/or bumble foot. At 42 d of age, birds on the wet litter had greater severity of FPD, scores 1 and 2, compared with the control group (88 vs. 13% respectively; P < 0.0001). At 42 d of age, prevalence of more severe footpad scores, 1 or 2, was lowest on the orange corn diet (33%), followed by white corn (56%) and yellow corn (63%). Birds fed the orange corn diet had higher BW throughout the study (P = 0.004) and had fat pads and livers with higher yellow pigment deposition (P < 0.005). Litter moisture content altered microbiome composition but corn type did not. In conclusion, the main determinant of FPD in this study was exposure to wet litter. When compared with yellow and white corn, orange corn was associated with improved bird growth and reduced severity of footpad dermatitis, especially at later time points.

Validation of histological and visual scoring systems for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens

AbstractIn this study, an appropriate visual scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis was validated, considering the histologically measured depth of the inflammation zone and the histopathological grade (no lesion, mild lesion, ulcer). The aim being to evaluate whether the visual, macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can represent the histological, microscopic findings. Two hundred Ross 308 broiler chicken feet (birds aged 39-42 fattening days) were collected at a slaughterhouse and scored macroscopically according to a modified version of the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Poultry. Afterwards, 200 histological slides (one per foot) were prepared, the extent of the inflammation measured and all slides scored by veterinarian pathologists using Michel et al's modified scheme. The statistical relationship between microscopic and macroscopic score and depth of inflammation were estimated via regression models. Increasing macroscopic score was found to be linked with an increase in microscopic score and the depth of inflammation. In particular, feet without lesions and feet with ulcers were identifiable using the macroscopic score. Macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can mirror histological findings once certain limitations are taken into account (superficial lesions were not clearly identifiable). Foot-pad dermatitis is considered a useful indicator of animal welfare and our findings suggest that visual, macroscopic scoring could be a practicable assessment tool.

Microclimate, Body Weight Uniformity, Body Temperature, and Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens Reared in Commercial Poultry Houses in Hot and Humid Tropical Climates

Microclimate, Body Weight Uniformity, Body Temperature, and Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens Reared in Commercial Poultry Houses in Hot and Humid Tropical Climates

Supplemental boric acid does not prevent the development of footpad dermatitis in broilers subjected to high stocking density

The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of dietary boric acid supplementation on the development of incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens subjected to normal or high stocking densities (NSD or HSD). A total of 576 1-day-old ROSS 308 broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 4 treatments (8 replicate pens per treatment) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary boric acid (0 and 60mg/kg) and stocking density (NSD 14 birds/m2 and HSD 22 birds/m2). Basal diets were formulated for starter, grower, and finisher phases. Growth performance, litter quality (litter pH, moisture, temperature, and NH3 volatilization), serum and litter boron levels, and incidence and severity of FPD were recorded. The HSD affected the body weight gain and feed intake of broiler chickens during all phases and 0 to 42 (P < 0.05), whereas feed conversion ratio (FCR) was poor at 0 to 21 days only. Dietary boric acid had no effect on the growth performance of broiler chickens. Litter pH, moisture, and NH3 volatilization were higher in broiler chickens subjected to HSD (P < 0.05). Thus, the incidence and severity of FPD increased in response to HSD (P < 0.05). Dietary boric acid reduced the litter pH and NH3 volatilization on day 42 of experiment (P < 0.05). However, dietary boric acid supplementation had no effect on the incidence and severity of FPD. Boric acid supplementation in broiler diets increased the serum and litter boron levels at day 42 in broiler chickens subjected to NSD or HSD (P < 0.05). In conclusion, HSD resulted in poor growth performance, litter quality, and greater incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens. Dietary boric acid was ineffective against FPD in broiler chickens although it improved the litter quality by lowering the litter pH and NH3 volatilization.

First approach validating a scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens developed for application in practice

Measuring the severity of foot-pad dermatitis is an accepted tool monitoring the quality of animal husbandry and welfare. Up to now, a variety of scoring schemes have been used, most of them based on visual evaluation. However, a standardisation and validation of scoring systems is beneficial, not only to compare different studies, but to provide objective indicators in poultry welfare. In this study, we validated one visual scoring system, widely used in Northern Germany, by using additional information of histological measurements. Therefore, feet of broiler chickens (ROSS 308) from one flock were visually scored at the slaughter plant (4-point score). Ten feet per score level (n = 40) were sampled and analysed macroscopically and microscopically. Data were analysed using cluster analysis, providing a classification based on these histopathological findings. Validity of the visual scoring system was analysed by (1) testing the interobserver reliability between different observers and (2) by comparing both, visual and cluster classification types using the McNemar’s test. In a last step Kendall tau correlations were calculated in order to find suitable parameters to judge the severity in a visual score more reliably. Results could show that most agreement was found for the score levels 1 and 2, whereas results for score levels 3 and 4 were more divergent. These results were found in both, interobserver reliability and comparison of classification types (visual vs. cluster). Results revealed interaction effects of classification type and scoring level for the width of ulcers (p = 0.0044) and the size of the lesion (p = 0.0081). In the cluster classification, higher values in both, width of ulcer and size of lesion could be found in score level 3. Furthermore, a positive correlation of the size of lesion with the depth of the ulcer was found (0.73). In conclusion, we found that histological findings coincided well with the less severe visual scores (1; 2), whereas the differentiation between the severe scores (3; 4) seemed to be less valid. For practical purposes we therefore recommend keeping visual scoring systems simple. Furthermore, as the correlation coefficient between both was quite high, the size of the lesion might serve as an indirect indicator of the depth.

Effect of dietary tannic acid supplementation in corn- or barley-based diets on growth performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary tannic acid and barley supplementation on growth performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens. Five hundred forty-four 1-d-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to dietary treatments with 8 replicated pens per treatment and 17 broiler chickens pen as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of 2 diets (a corn-soybean meal diet or a diet with 30% barley) and tannic acid (0 and 2g/kg) in a completely randomized design. Growth performance, intestinal viscosity, litter quality, and FPD incidence and severity were recorded. The results showed that there was no interaction between diets and tannic acid levels. Barley-based diets reduced (P < 0.05) the body weight (BW) gain at 0–42 d, and feed intake at 21–42 d and 0–42 d. At 28 d of experiment, the viscosity of intestinal contents of anterior and posterior segments was greater (P < 0.05) in broiler chickens fed diets with barley. Similarly, the viscosity of intestinal contents of posterior segment was greater (P < 0.05) at 42 d, in broiler chickens fed barley-based diets. Litter pH, moisture, and NH3 volatilization were increased (P < 0.05) in response to barley-based diets. Barley-based diets increased (P < 0.05) the incidence and severity of FPD lesions in broiler chickens at 14, 28, and 42 d of experiment. Although dietary tannic acid had no effect on performance, intestinal viscosity, and litter quality compared to those fed diets without tannic acid (P > 0.05), it tended to reduce body weight gain (P = 0.05) and increase feed conversion ratio (FCR; P = 0.09) at 0–21 d and NH3 volatilization on 28 (P = 0.08) and 42 d (P = 0.07). Dietary tannic acid supplementation prevented the FPD lesion development and reduced (P < 0.05) the total FPD lesions at d 42. Moreover, the severe lesions decreased (P = 0.08) on d 42 in broiler chickens fed tannic acid. In conclusion, barley-based diets may worsen the growth performance and litter quality, and increase the intestinal viscosity that increases the incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens. Dietary tannic acid supplementation may not affect the growth performance, intestinal viscosity, and litter quality. However, it may reduce the incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens.

Effect of Litter Density, Organic Minerals (Availa Zn and Mn) and Microaid on the Incidence of Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens

The effect of litter density, organic minerals and an extract of Yucca schidigera (MicroAid®) on the development of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens was evaluated. Four treatments were studied: Trt 1) traditional fattening program plus a litter density of 1 kg m-2, Trt 2) traditional fattening program (Trt 1) plus a litter density of 2 kg m-2, Trt 3) traditional fattening program plus a foot health program (40 ppm of Availa-Zn, 40 ppm of Availa-Mn and 125 ppm of MicroAid®) added to the diet, and Trt 4) combination of treatment 2 (Trt 2) and the foot health program implemented in treatment 3. Ross-line chickens were used. FPD was evaluated at day 45 of the fattening cycle using three scores (categories): 0=no lesions, 1=mild lesion and 2=severe lesion. Data were analysed using a generalized linear mixed model with multinomial response. Significant differences (P<0.05) among treatments were observed. The increase in litter density and the foot health program, on a separate basis, significantly reduced the percentage of chickens with a severe lesion to the footpad and increased the percentage of chickens with no lesions. The use of organic minerals (Availa-Zn and Availa-Mn at 40 ppm) and MicroAid® as supplements in the diet in conjunction with a litter density of 2 kg m-2 resulted in the greatest reduction in the incidence of FPD in broiler chickens (Trt 4).

Effect of Litter Moisture on the Development of Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACTBroiler chicks were reared on either wet litter or dry litter to compare the development of footpad dermatitis (FPD). Broilers reared on wet litter first developed FPD at 14 days of age. Their FPD scores increased sharply after 21 days of age, reaching 2.92 at 42 days. In broilers reared on dry litter, FPD was first observed at 28 days of age, and the FPD score was only 0.70 at 42 days. When 21- or 28-day-old broilers that had been reared on wet litter and had developed FPD were moved to dry litter, the progression of FPD was suppressed or delayed. These results suggest that reducing litter moisture is effective in preventing FPD and suppressing disease progression.

Automated assessment of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens at the slaughter-line: Evaluation and correspondence with human expert scores

Footpad dermatitis is increasingly used as an indicator of decreased broiler welfare, and automation of dermatitis monitoring potentially reduces the effort needed to monitor commercial flocks. In this study we evaluated a prototype system for the automatic assessment of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens by comparing the automatic assessment with a human expert assessment. The expert aimed at selecting 2 times (different period) 20 broilers per footpad dermatitis category (5 categories in total), from 2 different flocks of 38-d-old broilers on an experimental farm. Two days later these broilers were transported to the slaughterhouse, where footpad dermatitis was assessed by the automatic system. Subsequently the footpads were reassessed by the same expert that had selected the birds. Automatic scores were only weakly correlated with scores given by the expert on-farm (r = 0.54) and at the slaughterhouse (r = 0.59). Manual evaluation of the photographs on which the automatic system based its scores revealed several errors. For 41.1% of the birds, the automatic system assessed only one of the footpads, whereas for 15.2% neither footpad was assessed. For 49.4% of the birds, scores were based on partially incorrectly identified areas. When data from such incomplete and obviously incorrect assessments were discarded, stronger correlations between automatic and expert scores were found (r = 0.68 and r = 0.74 for expert scores given on-farm and at-slaughter, respectively). Footpads that were missed by the automatic system were more likely to receive a high expert score at slaughter (P = 0.02). However, average flock scores did not differ greatly between automatic and expert scores. The prototype system for automatic dermatitis assessment needs to be improved on several points if it is to replace expert assessment of footpad dermatitis.

Influence of graded levels of dietary sodium on the development of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

SUMMARY An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of graded levels of dietary Na (0.15, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30% Na) on the live performance and development of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens reared to 49 d of age. On the day of hatch, 1,280 mixed-sex chicks were randomly allotted to 4 treatments, with 8 replicate pens of 40 broilers per pen. Feed and water consumption were monitored and litter samples were analyzed for moisture. The incidence and severity of FPD were assessed by examining all birds on d 28 and 49. Dietary supplementation of broiler diets with graded levels of Na improved (P < 0.05) FCR on d 14 (linear and quadratic), BW on d 28 and 49 (linear), decreased mortality on d 49 (linear), and increased total water consumption (linear). Litter moisture level also increased (P < 0.001) linearly from 24% (0.15% Na) to 32% (0.30% Na) on d 49. Moreover, the incidence and severity of FPD on d 28 and 49 were increased linearly with Na levels in the diet. On d 49, FPD severity was the most severe for broilers receiving the highest dietary levels of Na. With these results, we confirm earlier reports that high dietary Na can increase litter moisture and can therefore be a direct trigger of FPD development in broiler chickens.

Dietary biotin supplementation does not alleviate the development of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

SUMMARY The effects of 4 levels of supplemental dietary biotin (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg/kg) on live performance, and the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) were investigated in 2 experiments. In experiment 1, 600 one-day-old female broiler chicks were randomly distributed among 40 pens. Ten replicate pens were allotted to each of the 4 treatments, with 15 broilers per pen. In experiment 2, 1,440 one-day-old mixed-sex chicks were placed in 32 pens (45 chicks per pen), with 8 replications per treatment. Pen BW and feed consumption were measured at 21, 42, and 56 d of age in experiment 1 and at 15, 29, 43, and 57 d of age in experiment 2. Mortality was recorded twice daily and weighed to calculate the adjusted FCR in both experiments. In addition to live performance, FPD incidence and severity were evaluated at each of these time periods using a 3-point scale to document the progression of severity of lesions over time. Litter samples were also collected, pooled, and analyzed for moisture on d 1 and 57 in experiment 2. The live performance of broilers did not vary in experiment 2. Moreover, neither incidence nor severity of FPD was affected by dietary biotin supplementation. Litter moisture did not vary in experiment 2, but equaled or exceeded 35% in all treatments by d 57. No dietary biotin supplementation level resulted in the alleviation of FPD. It was concluded, based on these results, that dietary biotin supplementation is not an effective tool in preventing the development of FPD in broiler chickens.

Feed enzyme supplementation does not ameliorate foot pad dermatitis in broiler chickens fed on a corn-soyabean diet

1. Foot Pad Dermatitis (FPD) can be a serious health, quality and welfare problem in poultry production, with a significant affect on the economics of production. The physico-chemical properties of (NSP) have been correlated with increases in excreta viscosity and adherence, and hence FPD in broiler chickens. 2. Two broiler experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of different dietary non-starch polisaccharide (NSP) applications to corn-soyabean based diets in replicated floor pens. In addition to live performance, the incidence and severity of FPD was scored and, in experiment 2, intestinal viscosity and ammonia volatilization were measured. 3. Live performance did not vary with the different treatments in either experiment and the incidence and severity of FPD, and ammionia volatisation in experiment 2, were unaffected. However, birds reared on enzyme supplemented diets had lower (P < 0·001) intestinal viscosity levels in experiment 1. 4. In this study with corn-soyabean meal based diets, dietary enzyme supplementation had no affect on the incidence and severity of FPD. The lack of an association between the excreta viscosity and FPD is attributed to the multifactorial etiology of this condition.

Influence of dietary enzyme supplementation of barley-based diets on growth performance and footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens exposed to early high-moisture litter

SUMMARY The physicochemical properties of dietary nonstarch polysaccharides in barley and soybean meals have been correlated with increases in excreta viscosity and adherence, and hence footpad dermatitis (FPD), in broiler chickens. Moreover, high litter moisture has been identified as a possible causative agent of FPD. A total of 448 birds were raised in floor pens in a design involving a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of barley (0 or 25% of diet), feed enzyme mixture (supplementation with 0 or 0.1% of Farmazyme BR-M), and litter moisture (with or without added water) and a 3-stage feeding program (8 treatments; 32 replicates; 4 replicate pens per treatment combination, with 14 birds per pen). In addition to measuring live performance, the feet were scored on all birds at 14, 28, and 42 d of age, and the severity of FPD lesions was recorded as none, mild, or severe. A subsample of birds was processed at the end of the experiment to evaluate carcass yields. Pooled litter samples were collected for moisture determination (d 5 and 42) and pH (d 42). The incidence and severity of FPD on d 14 and 28 were due only to litter moisture. No effects on litter moisture or pH were due to barley, although growth performance was adversely affected at 25% dietary inclusion. Carcass yields did not differ between treatments (P > 0.05). Performance of birds was significantly improved by supplementing the feed enzyme mixture, irrespective of the addition of barley or the wetting treatment. Hence, management factors play a significant role in the etiology of FPD in broilers.

Effect of bedding type and transient wetness on footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

SUMMARY a high incidence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) is undesirable in broiler chicken production in terms of both animal welfare and profitability. Bedding type and bedding quality have been identified as possible causative agents of FPD. Four randomized block trials were conducted to determine whether bedding type and transient elevation in moisture influenced the incidence and severity of FPD in broiler chickens. in addition to broiler growth performance and litter moisture, the incidence and severity of FPD was assessed at different ages. the incidence of FPD was significantly increased when the litter moisture was increased by wetting at 14 d of age, but not when the broilers were older than 56 d of age. the severity of FPD was reduced with the improvements in bedding quality. Moreover, particle size of the litter had a direct effect on the occurrence of FPD. Wetting treatment and litter type had little influence on the live performance of broilers in 4 successive trials. From the standpoint of FPD etiology, litter moisture level and particle size may be crucial factors in the development of FPD. Similarly, FPD may be occurring early in the grow-out period, and subsequent improvements in litter quality could reverse the severity of lesions in market-age broilers.

Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens in Japan

The prevalence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens in Japan was investigated. In the first examination at slaughterhouses, lesions were commonly observed on the footpads of a total of 8,985 broiler chickens from 45 flocks on 36 farms. In 3 flocks, all the birds examined had lesions. In the other 42 flocks, the incidence of FPD ranged from 31.9% (81/254) to 99.5% (1/222). The footpad lesions were classified into 4 categories according to the severity of dermatitis as follows; score 0, 1,181 birds (13.1%); score 1, 2,992 birds (33.3%); score 2, 3,000 birds (33.4%); and score 3, 1,812 birds (20.2%). The mean scores of the flocks varied widely from 0.31 to 2.69. Males had higher mean scores than females. No significant differences were found between the mean scores of birds reared in windowless houses and those in open-sided houses. On 4 farms, the investigation was carried out in different seasons, and 3 of them showed higher mean scores in winter than in summer. Next, observation of 2,255 birds from 15 flocks on 5 farms during a 4-week rearing period revealed that FPD was already produced at 7 days of age and worsened with age.

Influence of bedding material on footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens

SUMMARY Bedding availability issues are arising rapidly in the broiler industry that may alter the type and quality of bedding available to growers to rear broiler chickens. Because birds are in direct contact with the litter, the potential impact of bedding materials on footpad health is of concern. In 3 successive trials, 8 different bedding sources (pine shavings, pine bark, chipped pine, mortar sand, ground hardwood pallets, chopped straw, ground door filler, and cotton-gin trash) were compared in side-by-side experimental pens by rearing mixed-sex birds. In addition to broiler growth performance and litter characteristics (moisture, caking, and ammonia volatilization), the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) was assessed at 6 wk of age. Bedding materials had little influence on the live performance of broilers in 3 successive trials. Prevalence of FPD varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the bedding materials. The incidence of FPD paralleled high litter moisture and caking scores, with chipped pine, chopped straw, cotton-gin trash, and pine shavings showing the highest severity scores and mortar sand and ground door filler showing the lowest. From an FPD etiology standpoint, the ability of the bedding to absorb (i.e., ground door filler) and quickly release (i.e., mortar sand) moisture may be the most important characteristics.

Measurements of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens at processing plants

A four-point photographic scale was developed to score the severity of lesions of footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broiler chickens. There was a linear relationship between the square root of the...