Risk of Incidence of Hock Burn and Pododermatitis in Broilers Reared under Commercial Conditions

Jacob, Flavia Gerbi; Baracho, Marta S.; Nääs, Irenilza de Alencar; Lima, Nilsa Duarte da Silva; Salgado, Douglas D’Alessandro; Souza, Rafael de Abreu e

doi:10.1590/1806-9061-2015-0183

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(29 reference statements)

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“…The main factor contributing to the development of lesions on the footpad or hock was the poor litter quality. Substrates with sharp edges may increase the prevalence and the severity of dermatitis (Jacob et al, 2016). Footpad dermatitis causes pain and therefore has a negative effect on bird welfare.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wet and unsuitable litter reduces overall welfare, technical performance, and carcass yield in broiler chickens (De Jong et al, 2014;Petek et al, 2014). A variety of floor materials have been tested for many years in broiler production (Da Cruz et al, 2013;Jacob et al, 2016). Although cage and slat floor housing have been available for many years, they have not been widely adopted because of poor leg health and poor meat quality of broilers (Shields and Grager, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers with an extended fattening period

Çavuşoğlu¹,

Petek²,

Abdourhamane³

et al. 2018

Arch. Anim. Breed.

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Abstract. This study was made to investigate the long-term effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers. The experiment was performed on 210-day-old fast-growing hybrid male chickens with identical conditions until 47 days of age. Animal-based welfare parameters were measured to investigate the welfare level in the group housed on deep litter, a litter and slat system, and a slatted floor, with five replicates for each group. Results showed that the main welfare indicators in live birds, such breast dirtiness, plumage score, footpad lesion, and hock burn lesion, were negatively affected in broilers kept on conventional deep-litter floor housing. But hemorrhage or lesion scores of the breast and shoulder of broilers in slat floor housing were found to be significantly greater than in conventional deep litter as a result of a heavy body weight at a greater slaughter age (p < 0.05). Pathologically, the prevalence of footpad and hock joint dermatitis was very high in the deep-litter housing system. Femoral head necrosis was not observed in any floor housing group. The results indicated that keeping broilers on a slat flooring system is preferable for younger slaughter ages and for a lighter slaughter weight. When considering the relationship between animal welfare and production economy, moving from one floor house system to another floor housing system should be carefully weighted in future decisions. Moreover, further investigations are needed in order to examine the incidence of joint and bone problems with muscle inflammation in heavier broilers in commercial conditions.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers with an extended fattening period

Çavuşoğlu¹,

Petek²,

Abdourhamane³

et al. 2018

Arch. Anim. Breed.

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“…Practical welfare surveillance methods for use in large commercial poultry houses are particularly needed. Poultry kept for meat production can be afflicted by a variety of welfare challenges including wounds, infections, and cardiovascular and skeletal metabolic disorders that compromise normal development [6, 7, 8, 9]. To assess the prevalence of such welfare problems in a practical, low-stress but systematic manner, a transect sampling procedure has been developed [4] and validated against the “gold standard” of evaluating every bird in the flock [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On-farm broiler chicken welfare assessment using transect sampling reflects environmental inputs and production outcomes

BenSassi

Vas

Vasdal³

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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To evaluate the utility of transect sampling for assessing animal welfare in large chicken flocks, we quantified relationships between environmental inputs, welfare problems detected using transect sampling, and production outcomes. We hypothesised that environmental inputs including environmental complexity (i.e. number of environmental enrichment types provided), space allowance, underfloor heating (presence or absence), and photoperiod regimen (18 h continuous vs 16 h intermittent) would correspond to variations in welfare assessment findings, which would predict production outcomes. We conducted on-farm welfare assessment of Norwegian broiler flocks at approximately 28 days of age. We sampled four transects (rows between feeder and drinker lines) per flock to determine litter quality and the proportions of chickens with compromised welfare as indicated by visual signs of walking difficulties, illness, skin wounds and small bird size. Production outcome measures included mortality, reasons for carcass rejection at slaughter, footpad dermatitis, growth rate, feed conversion and an integrated production index. Greater environmental complexity was associated with a reduction in skin wounds and total welfare problems on the farm, lower mortality, fewer rejections due to wounds and underweight birds, and fewer rejections overall. Higher space allowances within levels of environmental complexity were associated with fewer walking difficulties and welfare problems overall, a reduction in rejections due to wounds, and a higher growth rate and production index. Underfloor heating was associated with a reduction in rejections due to leg deformity, and intermittent light was associated with lower illness and skin wound rates on the farm, and lower mortality. Furthermore, fewer welfare problems and better litter quality on the farm were associated with fewer carcass rejections at slaughter. Thus, data from transect sampling varied with environmental inputs and production outcomes, supporting the validity of transect sampling for practical, animal-based on-farm welfare assessment.

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“…But along with selective breeding for a broiler that produces meat quickly, there is increased incidence of skeletal disorders, which are usually expressed in difficulty in walking, which compromises the welfare of the birds. The main welfare problems in intensively reared broilers include dirty feathers, footpad dermatitis, hock burns, leg problems, and behavioural restrictions (Jacob et al, 2016;Thøfner et al, 2019). There are several ways to measure these traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behaviour, welfare, and tibia traits of fast- and slow-growing chickens reared in intensive and free range systems

Ghayas¹,

Hussain²,

Mahmud³

et al. 2021

SA J. An. Sci.

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The behaviour, welfare, and tibia characteristics of fast- and slow-growing chickens were evaluated in free-range and intensive production systems. A total of 720 birds of three strains were subjected to these systems after 21 days of rearing under the same intensive environment. Each treatment was replicated six times with 20 birds in each replicate. Data were collected for welfare aspects, including feather condition, footpad, hock joint and tonic immobility, behavioural features, especially feeding or foraging, sitting, walking, scratching, pecking and dust-bathing, and tibia characteristics, including weight, length, width, medullary canal diameter and robusticity index (4 - 8 weeks). Production system had significant effects on all welfare and behaviour aspects of the birds. However, tibia characteristics were not influenced by production system, except for medullary canal diameter. The strains differed significantly in welfare, tibia characteristics and behaviour. For example, the slow-growing strains had better feather condition, footpad and hock joint scores. Significant interactions of strain and production system were noted for all characteristics. It was recommended that Rhode Island Red chickens could be raised under either production system without compromising their welfare or causing adverse effects on leg health.

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Risk of Incidence of Hock Burn and Pododermatitis in Broilers Reared under Commercial Conditions

Cited by 9 publications

References 27 publications

Effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers with an extended fattening period

Effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers with an extended fattening period

On-farm broiler chicken welfare assessment using transect sampling reflects environmental inputs and production outcomes

Behaviour, welfare, and tibia traits of fast- and slow-growing chickens reared in intensive and free range systems

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