Poult malabsorption syndrome. III. Skeletal lesions in market-age turkeys.

Skeletal deformities, a major contributing factor to economic losses in market-age turkeys, may be associated with the poult malabsorption syndrome. A study was performed to determine whether the naturally occurring malabsorption syndrome produces skeletal lesions in turkeys at market age. Poults were placed on litter on which poults had previously developed malabsorption. Exposed poults developed enteric disease with 21% mortality during the first 3 weeks. Controls had no enteric disease and no mortality. At the end of the study, 20-week-old exposed turkeys weighed 0.621 kg (5%) less than controls and had a higher incidence of angular limb deformities with significantly higher angulation scores. Exposed turkeys also had a greater incidence of rotated tibias and bowed tibias. The mechanical property of tibial shear strength was significantly lower in turkeys that had survived the earlier poult malabsorption syndrome.