Incidence of Pododermatitis in Broiler Reared under Two Types of Environment

Abstract

Housing environment is essential to achieve good broiler performance and to prevent diseases, including footpad dermatitis (FPD). The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of footpad dermatitis in broilers chickens according to housing type. The study was carried out with broilers reared for 5, 12, 19, 29 and 40 days. Four houses were used in this observational study. House 1 (A1) had positive pressure and reused litter; house 2 (A2) had positive pressure and new litter (sawdust); house 3 (A3) had positive pressure and new litter (rice husks); and house 4 (A4) had negative pressure and reused litter. During the entire experiment, air environmental and litter surface temperatures, and litter compaction were recorded. Pododermatitis was assessed by visual scoring of the footpads. Footpads were scored as function of the severity of the lesion. The comparison of means by the test of Bonferroni at 95% confidence interval showed higher incidence of footpad dermatitis in A3, probably due to the particle size of litter substrate. The lowest footpad dermatitis incidence was found in A1, with reused sawdust litter.

Effectiveness of poultry litter amendments on bacterial survival and Eimeria oocyst sporulation

“…Variables such as litter stocking, litter moisture, litter pH, breed, temperature, relative humidity, and concurrent disease threats can influence the choice of litter amendment type. The choice of chemical litter amendments was more successful compared to other forms of amendments, as it reduces litter pH and moisture percentage creating unfavorable conditions for bacterial and viral survival as well as coccidian sporulation and maturation [ 31 ]. Chemical amendments cannot provide solutions for inadequate ventilation, small air inlet, and high bird stocking density.…”