Lesioni podali e benessere del broiler: osservazioni preliminari

Foot pad dermatitis and welfare in broiler chickens. An attempt to classify broiler foot health status using the method developed in Sweden by Ekstrand et al. for the control of foot pad dermatitis was carried out. The Italian market demanded heavy broilers (3.5 kg and more) at 56 days of age. In this condition, the foot pad dermatitis was frequent as a consequence of feed composition, litter material, stocking density and climatic conditions. Foot pad dermatitis evaluation and classification of lesions at slaughterhouses were very difficult. Gross and histological lesions were not always comparable