Vencomatic Group, 5520 AD Eersel, The Netherlands; Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Poult Sci. 2020 Jul;99(7):3355-3362. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.04.010. Epub 2020 Apr 24.
Contact dermatitis, both on the foot pads and hocks, is a well-known health issue in broilers. Less is known about contact dermatitis in broiler breeders, however, although they have many risk factors for developing leg health problems in common with broilers. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and severity of contact dermatitis during the production cycle in 5 lines of broiler breeders, investigate possible causes of contact dermatitis, and study its relationship with gait, egg production, and floor egg percentage. Five commercially available genetic lines of broiler breeders were housed in 21 pens of 550 females and 50 males from 20 to 60 wk of age. Every 10 wk litter quality, leg health measurements (foot pad dermatitis, hock burn, and gait) and body weight were assessed of 50 random hens per pen. Total number of eggs, number of eggs laid outside the nest (floor eggs), and mortality were recorded daily per pen. Prevalence of foot pad dermatitis, hock burn, and gait problems increased with age. Litter quality started to decrease at 50 wk of age. Prevalence of foot pad dermatitis was affected by litter quality, whereas genetic line had little effect. One genetic line was more prone to developing hock burns, though generally the prevalence of hock burn (13%) was much lower than that of foot pad dermatitis (74%). The percentage of broiler breeders with gait problems increased up to 24% with age, but this was not related to the prevalence of contact dermatitis. The lines differed in body weight from 32 wk of age onwards, and a higher body weight was related to lower egg production and higher cumulative mortality. The percentage of floor eggs was not related to leg health parameters or genetic line. Broiler breeders thus have similar leg health problems as broilers, but these problems are not related to the percentage of floor eggs, suggesting that other factors are involved in the undesirable behavior of floor laying.
接触性皮炎，无论是在脚垫还是跗关节，都是肉鸡中众所周知的健康问题。然而，对于种鸡来说，接触性皮炎的情况了解较少，尽管它们与肉鸡有许多共同的腿部健康问题的风险因素。本研究旨在描述 5 个肉鸡种鸡品系在生产周期中接触性皮炎的流行率和严重程度，调查接触性皮炎的可能原因，并研究其与步态、产蛋量和垫料蛋比例的关系。将 5 个商业上可用的肉鸡种鸡遗传品系饲养在 21 个鸡舍中，每个鸡舍有 550 只母鸡和 50 只公鸡，从 20 到 60 周龄。每 10 周评估一次每个鸡舍的 50 只随机母鸡的垫料质量、腿部健康测量（脚垫皮炎、跗关节烧伤和步态）和体重。每天记录每个鸡舍的总产蛋数、不在巢中产的蛋数（垫料蛋）和死亡率。脚垫皮炎、跗关节烧伤和步态问题的流行率随着年龄的增长而增加。垫料质量在 50 周龄开始下降。脚垫皮炎的流行率受垫料质量的影响，而遗传品系的影响较小。有一种遗传品系更容易发生跗关节烧伤，尽管跗关节烧伤的总体流行率（13%）远低于脚垫皮炎（74%）。随着年龄的增长，步态有问题的种鸡比例增加到 24%，但这与接触性皮炎的流行率无关。从 32 周龄开始，这些品系的体重不同，较高的体重与较低的产蛋量和较高的累积死亡率有关。垫料蛋的比例与腿部健康参数或遗传品系无关。因此，种鸡与肉鸡有类似的腿部健康问题，但这些问题与垫料蛋的比例无关，这表明其他因素参与了不希望的垫料产卵行为。
