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Rearing Conditions and Foot-Pad Dermatitis in Swedish Turkey Poults

Effekter av uppjödningsmiljön på förekomsten av fotskador hos svenska kalkoner

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 38, pages 167–174 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

A method previously developed for classification of broiler foot health status was used in order to estimate the prevalence of foot-pad dermatitis in Swedish turkey poults. Data on foot health were collected from 53 commercial turkey flocks at slaughter. The producers were asked to fill in a questionnaire on rearing conditions and equipment for every flock.

Lesions were very commonly observed, only 2% of the feet were classified as being without lesions, 78% had mild lesions (discoloration, erosions), and 20% had severe lesions (ulcers). There was a significant (p<0.01) effect of litter material on the presence of severe foot-pad dermatitis, flocks reared on straw showing higher prevalence than flocks reared on wood shavings. There was also a significant (p<0.001) effect of the type of water system, severe foot-pad dermatitis being more common in flocks reared in houses equipped with bell drinkers compared with flocks reared with small cups. The addition of extra litter during the rearing period resulted in significantly (p<0.01) lower prevalence of lesions compared with flocks where no extra litter had been added.

Sammendrag

En metod som tidigare utvecklats för klassificering av fotskador hos slaktkyckling användes för att uppskatta prevalensen av trampdynedermatit hos svenska slaktkalkoner. Uppgifter om fothälsan insamlades från 53 kommersiellt uppfödda kalkonflockar i samband med slakt. För varje flock fick uppfödama fylla i ett formulät med uppgifter om uppfödningsmiljön och utrustningen i den aktuella avdelningen. Fotskador var mycket vanligt förekommande, endast 2% av kalkonföttema klassificerades som “utan anmärkning”, 78% hade lindriga skador (missfärgning, erosioner) och 20% uppvisade grava skador (ulcerationer). Det fanns en signifikant (p<0.01) effekt av strömaterial på förekomsten av grava fotskador; flockar som fötts upp på halmströbädd hade högre förekomst än flockar uppfödda på kutterspån. De flockar som fått tillskott av nytt strömaterial under uppfödningsperiodens gång uppvisade signifikant (p<0.01) lägre prevalens av grava fotskador än de som inte fått något extra strömaterial. Vi såg även en signifikant (p<0.001) effekt av typ av vattensystem, grava fotskador var vanligare hos flockar som fötts upp i anläggningar med stora vattenklockor än hos flockar som fötts upp med små vattenkoppar.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jan Svedberg for valuable ideas and discussions on the classification of lesions, and Linda Keeling for comments on the manuscript. This project was funded by the Swedish Poultry Meat Association (Svensk Fågel) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Environment and Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 234, S-532 23, Skara, Sweden

    C. Ekstrand & B. Algers

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  1. C. Ekstrand
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  2. B. Algers
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Correspondence to C. Ekstrand.

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Ekstrand, C., Algers, B. Rearing Conditions and Foot-Pad Dermatitis in Swedish Turkey Poults. Acta Vet Scand 38, 167–174 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03548496

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147