| Summary: | The damages of the locomotor system and the skeletal system, in particular, are one of the major problems in the industrial poultry farming. The topic for the pathological changes in the keel bone in oviparous birds has become especially popular among scientists and researchers in recent years. The
high incidence of keel bone damage (KBD) of laying hens in industrial complexes is one of the biggest welfare problems facing the industry. They lead to disturbance of the animal welfare, causing pain, limiting the ability to move and to perform the characteristic behaviour of the species. This in turn
causes a decrease in productivity and unacceptably large losses not only for the individual producer but also for the whole sector. The problem with the KBD is widespread in Switzerland, Great Britain, the Nederland, Belgium, Germany, and Canada. Different genetic lines of laying hens are affected, as well as all types of breeding systems. In general, the etiological factors are reduced to three main groups – genetic predisposition, unbalanced diet and imperfections in housing systems. The causes and influencing factors of KBD remain unknown to the research community - a circumstance that seriously
complicates the development of effective strategies to reduce their occurrence and severity.
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