Kestin S C, Knowles T G, Tinch A E, Gregory N G
Department of Meat Animal Science, University of Bristol, Langford.
Vet Rec. 1992 Aug 29;131(9):190-4. doi: 10.1136/vr.131.9.190.
A method for measuring the prevalence of leg weakness by assessing the walking ability of broilers was developed. Walking ability was divided into six categories, from completely normal to immobile. The method was found to give consistent results when performed by the same people. In a survey of commercial, intensively reared broilers, 90 per cent had a detectable gait abnormality and 26 per cent suffered an abnormality of sufficient severity for their welfare to be considered compromised. The prevalence of leg weakness in free range broilers, and three commercial breeds of broilers was determined. The results indicated that genetic factors were an important cause of leg weakness in broilers and also identified a possible relationship between liveweight and leg weakness.
开发了一种通过评估肉鸡行走能力来测量腿部无力发生率的方法。行走能力分为从完全正常到无法移动的六个类别。发现该方法由同一批人执行时能得出一致的结果。在一项对商业化密集饲养肉鸡的调查中，90%的肉鸡存在可检测到的步态异常，26%的肉鸡存在严重到足以认为其福利受到损害的异常情况。测定了散养肉鸡以及三个商业品种肉鸡的腿部无力发生率。结果表明，遗传因素是肉鸡腿部无力的一个重要原因，同时还确定了体重与腿部无力之间可能存在的关系。
