Effect of Litter on Development and Severity of Foot-Pad Dermatitis and Behavior of Broiler Chickens

The proper spatial distribution of chickens is an indication of a healthy flock. Routine inspections of broiler chicken floor distribution are done manually in commercial grow-out houses every day, which is labor intensive and time consuming. This task requires an efficient and automatic system that can monitor the chicken’s floor distributions. In the current study, a machine vision-based method was developed and tested in an experimental broiler house. For the new method to recognize bird distribution in the images, the pen floor was virtually defined/divided into drinking, feeding, and rest/exercise zones. As broiler chickens grew, the images collected each day were analyzed separately to avoid biases caused by changes of body weight/size over time. About 7000 chicken areas/profiles were extracted from images collected from 18 to 35 days of age to build a BP neural network model for floor distribution analysis, and another 200 images were used to validate the model. The results showed that the identification accuracies of bird distribution in the drinking and feeding zones were 0.9419 and 0.9544, respectively. The correlation coefficient (R), mean square error (MSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) of the BP model were 0.996, 0.038, and 0.178, respectively, in our analysis of broiler distribution. Missed detections were mainly caused by interference with the equipment (e.g., the feeder hanging chain and water line); studies are ongoing to address these issues. This study provides the basis for devising a real-time evaluation tool to detect broiler chicken floor distribution and behavior in commercial facilities.

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Behaviour, Growth Performance, Foot Pad Quality, Bone Density and Carcass Traits of Broiler Chickens Reared with Barrier Perches and fed Different Dietary Crude Protein Levels

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1139/cjas-2015-0202 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Clover Bench ◽

Matt Oryschak ◽

Doug R. Korver ◽

Eduardo Beltranena

Keyword(s):

Bone Density ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Crude Protein ◽

Carcass Traits ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Dietary Crude Protein ◽

Foot Pad

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Practical assessment and management of foot pad dermatitis in commercial broiler chickens: A Field Study

The Journal of Applied Poultry Research ◽

10.3382/japr/pfx019 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 593-604 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

J.M. Hunter ◽

S.A. Anders ◽

T. Crowe ◽

D.R. Korver ◽

C.J. Bench

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Commercial Broiler ◽

Foot Pad

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Validation of histological and visual scoring systems for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens

Animal Welfare ◽

10.7120/09627286.29.2.185 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 185-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A Piller ◽

S Bergmann ◽

A Schwarzer ◽

M Erhard ◽

J Stracke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Models ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Broiler Chicken ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Assessment Protocol ◽

Visual Scoring ◽

Welfare Quality ◽

Foot Pad ◽

Microscopic Findings

In this study, an appropriate visual scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis was validated, considering the histologically measured depth of the inflammation zone and the histopathological grade (no lesion, mild lesion, ulcer). The aim being to evaluate whether the visual, macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can represent the histological, microscopic findings. Two hundred Ross 308 broiler chicken feet (birds aged 39–42 fattening days) were collected at a slaughterhouse and scored macroscopically according to a modified version of the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Poultry. Afterwards, 200 histological slides (one per foot) were prepared, the extent of the inflammation measured and all slides scored by veterinarian pathologists using Michel et al's modified scheme. The statistical relationship between microscopic and macroscopic score and depth of inflammation were estimated via regression models. Increasing macroscopic score was found to be linked with an increase in microscopic score and the depth of inflammation. In particular, feet without lesions and feet with ulcers were identifiable using the macroscopic score. Macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can mirror histological findings once certain limitations are taken into account (superficial lesions were not clearly identifiable). Foot-pad dermatitis is considered a useful indicator of animal welfare and our findings suggest that visual, macroscopic scoring could be a practicable assessment tool.

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Impact of different light colors in behavior, welfare parameters and growth performance of Fayoumi broiler chickens strain

Journal of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society ◽

10.12681/jhvms.18017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 951 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M. H. HESHAM ◽

A. H. EL SHEREEN ◽

S. N. ENAS

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Blue Light ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Red Light ◽

Green Light ◽

Experimental Period ◽

Well Being ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Eating Frequency ◽

Foot Pad

Light is considered one of the most managerial factors affecting poultry well-being. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the effects of different light colors in behaviour, welfare and growth performance of Fayoumi chickens. A total of 300 one-day old chicks of Fayoumi broiler breed were weighed and randomly divided into 4 environmentally controlled chambers with different artificial light color (yellow, red, green and blue) until the end of the experimental period (12 weeks); each was divided into five replicate brooders (15 birds for each replicate). A scanning technique was used to report the chicken’s behaviors. Moreover, the plumage condition, foot and toe hyperkeratosis, foot and toe lesions (foot pad dermatitis) and growth performance were evaluated. Light colors had significant (P < 0.05) effects of the impose of different light colors in all kinds of behavior of Fayoumi chickens. It was found that eating frequency was the highest in blue light. Preening, dust bathing and drinking frequencies were the highest in green light. Birds reared in red light were more active, as expressed by greater walking, flying, head movement, litter scratching, body shaking, wing flapping, wing/leg stretching, feather pecking and aggression. While, birds in blue light were calmest, evidenced by more intense sleeping, sitting and idling behaviors. In spite of the fact that the light colors had no significant effect on plumage condition, health status of the foot and toe and growth performance, those parameters were better in birds kept in blue light than other light colors. We conclude that the blue light colour may improve the birds’ welfare.

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