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Validation of histological and visual scoring systems for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

A Piller ,
S Bergmann ,
A Schwarzer ,
M Erhard ,
J Stracke ,
B Spindler ,
N Kemper ,
P Schmidt ,
J Bachmeier  and
B Schade
...Show all authors
A Piller
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Chair of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13/R, 80539 Munich, Germany
S Bergmann
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Chair of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13/R, 80539 Munich, Germany
A Schwarzer
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Chair of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13/R, 80539 Munich, Germany
M Erhard
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Chair of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13/R, 80539 Munich, Germany
J Stracke
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
B Spindler
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
N Kemper
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
P Schmidt
Affiliation:
Paul Schmidt, Statistical Consulting for Science and Research, Große Seestr 8, 13086 Berlin, Germany
J Bachmeier
Affiliation:
Veterinary Practice, Grüner Weg 19, 94315 Straubing, Germany
B Schade
Affiliation:
Bavarian Animal Health Service, Department of Pathology, Senator-Gerauer-Str 23, 85586 Poing, Germany
B Boehm
Affiliation:
Bavarian Animal Health Service, Department of Pathology, Senator-Gerauer-Str 23, 85586 Poing, Germany
E Kappe
Affiliation:
Bavarian Animal Health Service, Department of Pathology, Senator-Gerauer-Str 23, 85586 Poing, Germany
H Louton*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Chair of Animal Welfare, Animal Behaviour, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13/R, 80539 Munich, Germany
*
* Contact for correspondence: h.louton@lmu.de
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Abstract

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In this study, an appropriate visual scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis was validated, considering the histologically measured depth of the inflammation zone and the histopathological grade (no lesion, mild lesion, ulcer). The aim being to evaluate whether the visual, macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can represent the histological, microscopic findings. Two hundred Ross 308 broiler chicken feet (birds aged 39-42 fattening days) were collected at a slaughterhouse and scored macroscopically according to a modified version of the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Poultry. Afterwards, 200 histological slides (one per foot) were prepared, the extent of the inflammation measured and all slides scored by veterinarian pathologists using Michel et al's modified scheme. The statistical relationship between microscopic and macroscopic score and depth of inflammation were estimated via regression models. Increasing macroscopic score was found to be linked with an increase in microscopic score and the depth of inflammation. In particular, feet without lesions and feet with ulcers were identifiable using the macroscopic score. Macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can mirror histological findings once certain limitations are taken into account (superficial lesions were not clearly identifiable). Foot-pad dermatitis is considered a useful indicator of animal welfare and our findings suggest that visual, macroscopic scoring could be a practicable assessment tool.

Keywords

animal welfareanimal welfare indicatorbroilerfoot-pad dermatitishistological validationpoultry
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , May 2020 , pp. 185 - 196
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial reuse or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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