Windswept deformities in poultry.

"Windswept deformities", involving valgus angulation of one intertarsal joint and varus angulation in the contralateral limb, were identified in 75 of 120 turkeys and 24 of 120 broiler fowls which had been culled because of lameness, so that windswept limb angulation was more common in turkeys than broilers. A proportion of cases can be more accurately described as unilateral intertarsal varus deformities with physiological valgus angulation of the contralateral limb. In other cases, marked angulation of one limb probably results from adoption of an altered posture secondary to deformity of the contralateral limb. No correlation was found between abnormal bone torsion, limb angulation and dyschondroplastic lesions. In broilers, almost 70 per cent of windswept limbs with 20 degrees or more intertarsal angulation showed physeal disturbance in the distal tibiotarsus or proximal transometatarsus or both. This finding supports the concept that windswept deformities are commonly associated with physeal lesions but whether the two conditions are causally related is uncertain.