Influence of Using Perforated Plastic Flooring Beneath the Waterline on Growth Performance, Litter Quality, and Footpad Health of Broiler Chickens: A Field Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of slatted flooring beneath waterlines in broiler barns on litter quality and, subsequently, footpad health. The hypothesis tested was that installing slatted flooring underneath waterlines helps to improve litter quality and thus reduces footpad diseases, enhancing animal welfare as a result. Five experimental runs with two groups were conducted. Each run was defined as one fattening period of 32 days and consisted of 15,000 broiler Ross 308 of both sexes. Every barn was divided into three areas (drinkers, feeders, and comfort area) for weekly sampling. No influence on growth performance was noted. The slatted flooring influenced the litter quality by preventing the litter in the experimental group (EG = 690 ± 167 g/kg DM) from becoming moisture until day 14 of the fattening period compared to the control group (CON = 636 ± 198 g/kg DM). The footpad health was also influenced by using slatted flooring, with lower camera-based footpad scores in the EG (8.80) compared to CON (22.0) at the slaughterhouse (p = 0.0258). Installing slatted flooring beneath the waterline reduced the moisture of the litter compared to the control barn in the first two weeks of age and showed a positive effect on the footpad health of the broilers at the end of fattening, which indicates an improvement in animal welfare.

Effect of replacing whole wheat with broken rye as a sustainable grain in diets of fattening turkeys on growth performance, litter quality, and foot pad health

“…Standing on wet litter brings the broilers' feet in constant contact with moisture and has been suggested to induce FPD ( 24 , 27 , 37 ). In a recent study by Abd El-Wahab et al ( 23 ), it was observed that in the first trial, feeding SF with rye led to significantly higher FPD scores (3.80) compared to broilers fed the control diets (2.70).…”

“…The prevalence and severity of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) are influenced by a wide range of circumstances which may affect litter quality and consequently the foot pad health. However, the most significant contributor to FPD is poor litter quality, namely moist litter ( 23 – 27 ). For the health and welfare of animals, it is therefore particularly important to achieve acceptable litter quality and a low prevalence of FPD.…”

Use of an elevated platform with perforated surface and manure belt by fast-growing broilers on commercial farms

“…The importance of undisturbed rest for broiler chickens was outlined by Schwean-Lardner et al (2014) , Yngvesson et al (2018) , and Forslind et al (2021) , as it is essential for vital functions and animal welfare. Platforms with a perforated surface can even have a positive effect on footpad and hock health ( Adler et al, 2020 ; Tahamtani et al, 2020 ; Sonnabend et al, 2022 ) due to the reduced time the broilers spent in soiled and humid litter. In a study with an elevated perforated flooring system that covered 50% of the barn floor and was 15 cm high, more broilers were observed on the elevated floor than in a similarly littered control area ( May et al, 2022 ).…”