Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the feather coverage on breast and thighs in meat type chickens, reared on three different types of litter materials, including wood shavings, shredded paper and chopped wheat straw. The experiment lasted for 72 days. A total of 447 one-day-old meat type chick...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Acta Agriculturae Slovenica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/12694 |
| _version_ | 1797704274408374272 |
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| author | Dušan TERČIČ Mirjana ŽOLGER Mojca PESTOTNIK |
| author_facet | Dušan TERČIČ Mirjana ŽOLGER Mojca PESTOTNIK |
| author_sort | Dušan TERČIČ |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An experiment was conducted to evaluate the feather coverage on breast and thighs in meat type chickens, reared on three different types of litter materials, including wood shavings, shredded paper and chopped wheat straw. The experiment lasted for 72 days. A total of 447 one-day-old meat type chickens were randomly allotted to the three litter materials, giving 149 birds per litter. On days 24, 47 and 72 of the experimental period, feathering on the breast and thighs was scored according to a 1–4 scale. In addition, the severity of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB) was evaluated at the same days by attributing scores from 1−3. Litter characteristics (moisture content, water absorbing capacity, bulk density, pH) were determined at the end of the experiment. Severity of FPD varied significantly (P < 0.016) among the litter materials with chopped straw showing the highest severity scores and wood shavings showing the lowest. Litter material had no effect (P > 0.016) on the severity of HB and on thigh feathering. Birds reared on chopped wheat straw presented the lowest breast feather coverage. Straw litter had the highest moisture content and pH value. In conclusion, wood shavings proved to be best litter material for meat type chickens rearing among the three tested litter materials. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:17:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f27c0d87b194c31a3f1876359049c86 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1854-1941 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T05:17:55Z |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Agriculturae Slovenica |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f27c0d87b194c31a3f1876359049c862023-09-03T07:55:48ZengUniversity of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Acta Agriculturae Slovenica1854-19412015-12-01106210.14720/aas.2015.106.2.519086Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickensDušan TERČIČ0Mirjana ŽOLGER1Mojca PESTOTNIK2Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, SloveniaŠmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu 154, SI-2383 Šmartno, SloveniaUniv. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, SloveniaAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the feather coverage on breast and thighs in meat type chickens, reared on three different types of litter materials, including wood shavings, shredded paper and chopped wheat straw. The experiment lasted for 72 days. A total of 447 one-day-old meat type chickens were randomly allotted to the three litter materials, giving 149 birds per litter. On days 24, 47 and 72 of the experimental period, feathering on the breast and thighs was scored according to a 1–4 scale. In addition, the severity of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB) was evaluated at the same days by attributing scores from 1−3. Litter characteristics (moisture content, water absorbing capacity, bulk density, pH) were determined at the end of the experiment. Severity of FPD varied significantly (P < 0.016) among the litter materials with chopped straw showing the highest severity scores and wood shavings showing the lowest. Litter material had no effect (P > 0.016) on the severity of HB and on thigh feathering. Birds reared on chopped wheat straw presented the lowest breast feather coverage. Straw litter had the highest moisture content and pH value. In conclusion, wood shavings proved to be best litter material for meat type chickens rearing among the three tested litter materials.https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/12694poultrybroiler chickenslitterfoot pad dermatitishock burnfeather coverage |
| spellingShingle | Dušan TERČIČ Mirjana ŽOLGER Mojca PESTOTNIK Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens Acta Agriculturae Slovenica poultry broiler chickens litter foot pad dermatitis hock burn feather coverage |
| title | Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| title_full | Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| title_fullStr | Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| title_short | Effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| title_sort | effect of different litter materials on foot pad dermatitis hock burn and feather coverage in broiler chickens |
| topic | poultry broiler chickens litter foot pad dermatitis hock burn feather coverage |
| url | https://journals.uni-lj.si/aas/article/view/12694 |
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