Relationship between drinkers, wet litter and pododermatitis in chickens

Today, the worldwide debate about broiler chicken welfare also includes an analysis of mortality and culling rates – Can this involve second grades or confiscation to euthanize?-, stocking density in the shed, lighting, footpad dermatitis (contact dermatitis) and feather condition, air quality, litter quality, level of lameness, lesion prevalence, and behavior.

The OIE – World Organization for Animal Health even has a chapter named “Animal welfare and broiler chicken production system, which includes the aforementioned topics as a global reference standard for the welfare of broiler chickens.

While all these groups – companies, retailers, animal protectionists, and governments – are engaged in improving the outcome of broiler chicken welfare, their views often differ as to the manner in which such animal welfare results should be assessed and measured.

There is one aspect, however, on which all these groups agree, and it involves the importance of the assessment and prevention of footpad dermatitis -pododermatitis- in broiler chickens. This inflammatory process not only translates into an animal welfare issue but also leads to financial consequences at the farm since it raises the mortality rate and the feed conversion ratio. It also lowers the quality of the final product, which generates a consequent concern in the slaughterhouse, because it is impossible to sell chicken paws having serious lesions.

What is pododermatitis?

It is contact dermatitis, and in principle, pododermatitis in broiler chickens is a consequence of long-term contact of the footpad skin with soaked or wet litter (poor conditions). Initially, black scabs, and inflammation of the footpad surface and fingers are seen, potentially progressing to hyperkeratosis – a thickening of the