Effects of litter quality and floor heating on foot pads

摘要

Food pad lesions reflect on bird health and welfare. It deserves more attention for ethical reasons and consumer desires. What is the cause and what can be done about it? Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) has been known as a common problem in poultry production for many decades. Recently it attracted additional attention in terms of animal welfare, food safety and also consumer protection, since predisposing conditions for foot pad diseases are influenced by infections of the gastrointestinal tract and may also be related to zoonoses. FPD is basically a type of contact dermatitis affecting the plantar region of the feet, with lesions surrounded by a reddening of the foot pads as a first symptom, followed by discolouration and hyperkeratosis, often in combination with erosions and necrosis of the epidermis, with deep ulcers ocairring in severe cases. Furthermore, the lesions can be a gateway for bacteria which may spread haematoge-nously and might impair product quality. It has been indicated that broilerswith severe FPD show reduced weight gain, which has been suggested to be a result of pain induced inappetance.