Institute of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Poult Sci. 2012 Mar;91(3):627-35. doi: 10.3382/ps.2011-01840.
Foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) is a widespread challenge to turkey production. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of using floor heating and exposure to litter with critical moisture content (35%) under experimental infection with Eimeria. adenoeides on the severity of FPD in turkeys. Two trials were done; in each trial, 4 groups of 2-wk-old female turkeys were reared over 4 wk. At the start of the experiment (d 14), each bird had normal foot pads. All birds were fed ad libitum on identical pelleted diets without any anticoccidial additive. The first 2 groups were kept on dry wood shavings with or without floor heating; the other 2 groups were housed on wet wood shavings of 35% moisture with or without floor heating. Two birds in each of the 4 groups were experimentally infected with E. adenoeides via crop intubation (~50,000 oocysts/bird). Foot pads were assessed weekly for external scoring and at d 42 of life for histopathological scoring. The number of oocysts eliminated via excreta was determined. In both trials, using floor heating resulted in significantly decreased FPD scores (2.06 ± 0.735; 1.47 ± 0.734, trials 1 and 2, respectively) compared with groups housed without floor heating (3.88 ± 0.812; 2.73 ± 1.25, trials 1 and 2, respectively). Birds continuously exposed to wet litter (35% moisture) showed significantly increased FPD scores (3.41 ± 1.23; 2.69 ± 1.34, trials 1 and 2, respectively) compared with the group not exposed to wet litter (2.53 ± 1.00; 1.53 ± 0.683, trials 1 and 2, respectively). The coccidial infection in both trials resulted in markedly lowered DM contents of excreta (14.8 and 15.1%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) and litter (58.0 and 57.6%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) in the groups exposed to wet litter without using floor heating. In both trials, using floor heating resulted in the highest mean DM content of litter (85.1 and 85.0%, trials 1 and 2, respectively) and the highest BW (2,693 and 2,559 g, trials 1 and 2, respectively). The results suggest that induced diarrhea caused by coccidial infection led to poor litter quality, and hence, increased the severity of FPD, which can be overcome by using floor heating.
脚垫皮炎（FPD）是火鸡生产中普遍存在的问题。本研究旨在评估在感染艾美尔球虫（Eimeria. adenoeides）的情况下，使用地板加热和暴露在临界水分含量（35%）下的垫料对火鸡 FPD 严重程度的影响。进行了两项试验；在每项试验中，将 4 组 2 周龄的雌性火鸡饲养 4 周。在实验开始时（第 14 天），每只鸡的脚垫都正常。所有鸡都自由采食相同的颗粒饲料，没有任何抗球虫添加剂。前 2 组分别饲养在干燥的刨花上，有或没有地板加热；其余 2 组饲养在水分含量为 35%的湿刨花上，有或没有地板加热。每组中的 2 只鸡通过食道插管接受 E. adenoeides 的实验感染（~50,000 个卵囊/只鸡）。每周评估脚垫的外部评分，并在生命的第 42 天进行组织病理学评分。通过排泄物确定排出的卵囊数量。在这两项试验中，与没有地板加热的组相比（试验 1 和 2 分别为 3.88 ± 0.812；2.73 ± 1.25），使用地板加热可显著降低 FPD 评分（试验 1 和 2 分别为 2.06 ± 0.735；1.47 ± 0.734）。与未暴露于湿垫料的组相比（试验 1 和 2 分别为 2.53 ± 1.00；1.53 ± 0.683），连续暴露于湿垫料（35%水分）的鸡的 FPD 评分显著增加（试验 1 和 2 分别为 3.41 ± 1.23；2.69 ± 1.34）。在两项试验中，暴露于湿垫料但未使用地板加热的组中，球虫感染导致粪便（试验 1 和 2 分别为 14.8%和 15.1%）和垫料（试验 1 和 2 分别为 58.0%和 57.6%）的 DM 含量明显降低。在两项试验中，使用地板加热可获得最高的垫料 DM 含量（试验 1 和 2 分别为 85.1%和 85.0%）和最高的 BW（试验 1 和 2 分别为 2,693 和 2,559 g）。结果表明，球虫感染引起的腹泻导致垫料质量变差，从而加重了 FPD 的严重程度，这可以通过使用地板加热来克服。
