J. Appl. Poult. Res.
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J APPL POULT RES 2007. 16:304-312
© 2007 Poultry Science Association
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Research Reports

Effect of High-Protein and All-Vegetable Diets on the Incidence and Severity of Pododermatitis in Broiler Chickens

M. Nagaraj, C. A. P. Wilson, J. B. Hess and S. F. Bilgili1

Poultry Science Department, Auburn University, AL 36849

Correspondence: 1 Corresponding author: bilgisf{at}auburn.edu


   SUMMARY
TOP
 SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
 REFERENCES AND NOTES
 
The incidence and severity of pododermatitis in broiler chickens is of great concern to the broiler industry, both from product quality and animal welfare standpoints. A total of 1,600 birds were raised in floor pens in a design involving a 2 x 2 x 2 arrangement of protein level [high or low], protein source [all vegetable (VEG) or vegetable plus animal (VEG + ANI)], and sex (male and female) on a 4-stage feeding program (50 birds per pen; 4 pens of males and 4 pens of females per treatment). In addition to live performance, the feet were scored on all birds on 29, 43, and 54 d of age, and the severity of lesions was recorded as none, mild, or severe. A subsample of birds was processed at the end of the experiment to evaluate carcass yields. Pooled litter samples were collected on 29, 43, and 54 d of age for total and NH3-N analysis. Protein level had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on BW on 14, 29, and 43 d of age. At 43 and 54 d of age, BW was significantly influenced by protein source and sex. Chilled carcass yields did not differ between the treatments (P > 0.05). Footpad lesions were significantly affected by protein level, protein source, and sex. At 29 d of age, all lesions were mild in severity and varied significantly in incidence by protein source (31% for VEG vs. 41% for VEG + ANI). At 54 d of age, both protein level and protein source significantly increased the incidence and severity of footpad lesions. Incidence of pododermatitis was higher for males (61%) than females (55%). Litter total N was significantly affected by protein level and protein source. The litter NH3-N content, although not significant, except for 29 d of age, showed an increasing trend for each feeding period. The incidence and severity of pododermatitis was significantly affected by protein level, protein source, sex, and age. Hence, nutritional factors play a significant role in the etiology of pododermatitis in broilers.

Key Words: broiler feet quality • pododermatitis • protein level and source


   DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
TOP
 SUMMARY
 DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
 REFERENCES AND NOTES
 
Pododermatitis is a common condition in broiler chickens, sbroiler breeders, and turkeys. It is also called paw burns or NH3 burns. Pododermatitis is a type of contact dermatitis characterized by lesions on the plantar region of the footpad, occasionally extending to the rear surface of the hock joint [1, 2, 3]. Gross signs include edema and thickening of the footpad and superficial to deep ulcers. The incidence and severity of pododermatitis that occur on the footpads of broiler chickens is of great concern to the broiler industry, both from product quality and animal welfare standpoints. Many factors have been implicated in the prevalence of pododermatitis, including nutrient deficiencies (especially biotin, Met, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, and Zn) in broiler diets [4], litter type [5, 6, 7], quality and moisture [2, 7, 8, 9, 10], and high stocking density [11]. Recently, Bilgili et al. [12, 13] have reported a high incidence and severity of pododermatitis in broilers fed high-nutrient density diets. A sex effect was also observed in which males tended to exhibit higher severity than females.

It was also observed that feeding higher levels of dietary protein results in poor skin integrity and thus predisposes the birds to pododermatitis [14]. Protein sources in broiler diets arise from plant or animal sources, and not all plant proteins are favorable for broilers. Soybean meal is the most abundant protein source for use in broiler feeds worldwide. Earlier investigations have shown that use of soybean meal in poultry diets has detrimental effects on feet quality [15, 16]. The indigestible oligosaccharides in soybean meal have been implicated in causing sticky droppings and wet litter problems. [17]. Prolonged contact of feet with fecal material and high moisture in litter could contribute to the development of pododermatitis. The current experiment was aimed at evaluating the influence of different dietary protein levels (high vs. low) and sources (VEG vs. VEG + ANI) on the incidence and severity of pododermatitis in male and female broiler chickens.


   MATERIALS AND METHODS
TOP
 SUMMARY
 DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
 REFERENCES AND NOTES
 
A total of 1,600 sexed, 1-d-old broiler chicks were randomly allotted to 32 pens in an open-sided, naturally ventilated concrete floor house [18]. The cement-floored pens were bedded with 8 cm of new pine shavings as litter. All pens were equipped with tube feeders and bell drinkers. Experimental design involved a 2 x 2 x 2 arrangement of protein level (high or low), protein source [all vegetable (VEG) or vegetable plus animal (VEG + ANI)], and sex (male and female) on a 4-stage feeding program (50 birds per pen; 4 pens of males and 4 pens of females per treatment). The nutrient and ingredient composition of the experimental diets are shown in Tables 1Go and 2Go. The feeding program consisted of crumbled starter (0 to 14 d of age), pelleted grower (15 to 29 d of age), finisher (30 to 43 d of age), and withdrawal (44 to 54 d of age) diets. Birds were reared on a 23L:1D lighting program, in which they received feed and water continuously. All birds were weighed on a per-pen basis at 14, 29, 43, and 54 d of age, and BW, adjusted feed conversion, and mortality were determined.


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  		Table 1. Nutrient composition of experimental diets1
 

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  		Table 2. Inclusion rate of soybean meal and poultry by-product meal in experimental diets (%)
 
A subsample of 10 birds was randomly chosen from each pen and processed on d 54 at the Auburn University processing facility to assess the effect of different treatments on carcass yield parameters. The feed was withdrawn approximately 10 h before processing. Carcass and fat yields were determined after immersion chilling. The incidence and severity of pododermatitis were scored on all the birds in each pen on 29, 43, and 54 d of age by a visual ranking system [19]. Figure 1Go illustrates the scoring of footpad lesions followed in this experiment. Litter samples (per-pen basis) collected from each pen were pooled by each feeding program for litter total and NH3-N analysis on 29, 43, and 54 d of age [20, 21, 22]. The data were statistically analyzed by the GLM procedure of SAS [23, 24].


Figure 1
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  		Figure 1. Pododermatitis severity scores. 0 = no lesions (A); 1 = mild lesions of <1.5 cm (B); 2 = severe lesions of >1.5 cm (C).

 

   RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
TOP
 SUMMARY
 DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
 REFERENCES AND NOTES
 
In formulating the experimental diets, the poultry by-product meal levels were kept constant between the high- and low-protein levels. Within each diet, the soybean meal levels were adjusted to obtain the desired protein levels (Table 2Go). No differences (P > 0.05) were detected in mortality between the treatments throughout the course of the study (Table 3Go). Protein level had a significant effect on BW at 14, 29, and 43 d of age, whereas birds raised on high-protein diets had higher BW. The effect of protein level on feed efficiency was restricted to 29 d of age in favor of high-protein diets. Sex effect for live performance was significant and favored males throughout the experiment. A significant protein level and protein source interaction at 43 d of age indicated a depressed BW for birds reared on low-protein and all-vegetable diets (Figure 2Go). At 43 and 54 d of age, significant protein source and sex interaction was present for BW. Both male and female birds responded favorably to all-vegetable diets. However, the magnitude of weight gain was greater for males than females (Figure 3Go).


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  		Table 3. Influence of protein level, protein source, and sex on broiler performance
 

Figure 2
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  		Figure 2. Protein level x source interaction for BW on d 43 (P < 0.05).

 

Figure 3
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  		Figure 3. Protein source x sex interaction for BW on d 43 (SEM = 29.4) and 54 (SEM = 36.1) at P < 0.05.

 
Chilled carcass yields did not differ between the treatments (Table 4Go). However, birds reared on all-vegetable diets showed significantly lower abdominal fat levels (2.3%) compared with those reared on VEG + ANI diets (2.6%). As expected, females (2.7%) had higher abdominal fat yields than males (2.1%) [25].


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  		Table 4. Influence of protein level, protein source, and sex on processing yields on d 54
 
Incidence and severity of pododermatitis was significantly affected by protein level, protein source, and sex. Incidence and severity of pododermatitis varied with each feeding period (Table 5Go). At 29 d of age, all lesions were mild in severity and varied significantly in incidence only by protein source. Birds reared on VEG + ANI diets showed higher incidence of mild lesions than those reared on VEG diets. At 43 d of age, lesions were again mild in nature and did not vary between the treatments (P > 0.05). At 54 d of age, a significant interaction between protein level and protein source was detected for mild footpad lesions, whereas birds reared on low-protein and VEG + ANI protein source diets showed the lowest incidence compared with other treatments (Figure 4Go). Severity of pododermatitis was high in male broilers and those raised on high-protein and all-vegetable diets. Males were more susceptible to severe footpad lesions following high levels of soybean meal inclusion in diets than females (Figure 5Go).


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  		Table 5. Influence of protein level, protein source, and sex on the incidence and severity of pododermatitis1 (%)
 

Figure 4
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  		Figure 4. Protein level x source interaction for mild lesions at d 54 (P < 0.05).

 

Figure 5
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  		Figure 5. Protein source x sex interaction for severe lesions at d 54 (P < 0.05).

 
Wet litter conditions have been identified as one of the major causative agents in pododermatitis [2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 26]. However, no such association was evident in this study (data not shown). The analyses of the pooled litter samples are summarized in Table 6Go. Litter total N was significantly affected by protein level and protein source. Analysis of litter samples from pens with high-protein diets showed a higher percentage of total N excretion at 29 and 43 d of age. Similarly, litter total N levels were higher in pens from all-vegetable diet treatments at 43 and 54 d of age. The litter NH3-N content showed an increasing trend for each feeding period. Protein level had a significant effect on NH3-N at 29 d of age, whereas litter from the pens of birds fed high-protein diets had higher NH3-N levels. Also, a significant interaction was observed between protein level and source for NH3-N at 43 d of age, in which NH3-N levels were higher in litter from high-protein and all-vegetable diets compared with other treatments (Figure 6Go).


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  		Table 6. Litter N and NH3-N analysis
 

Figure 6
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  		Figure 6. Protein level x source interaction for NH3-N at d 43 (P < 0.05).

 
Pododermatitis is one of the common causes of downgrading of chicken feet during processing. Whitehead and Bannister [14] reported that feeding high-protein diets may lead to deficiency of biotin, due to a drop in plasma biotin levels. This results in impairment of biotin-dependent lipogenic pathways. The activity of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase enzyme is decreased, and the synthesis of normal skin lipids is disrupted, thus leading to abnormal composition of skin lipids and increasing the susceptibility of skin to bruising, injury, and dermatitis. Jensen et al. [15] suggested that the complex carbohydrates of soybean meal that are not vulnerable to the endogenous enzymes are associated with footpad dermatitis in turkey poults. Use of soybean meal and its replacements in broiler diets have also been previously implicated as a cause of footpad dermatitis due to the generation of highly viscous feces and irritant litter [1, 17]. The current experimental results are consistent with previous studies and further verify that high levels of soybean meal inclusion in commercial broiler diets can result in high incidence of pododermatitis. Sex effect in the incidence of pododermatitis may be attributed to higher BW gains in male birds compared with females. In this study, 61% of males suffered with lesions categorized either as mild or severe compared with 55% in females. It is clear from this experiment that feeding programs, in addition to litter quality and flock management, should be recognized as a significant contributor to pododermatitis in poultry.


   CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
TOP
 SUMMARY
 DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
REFERENCES AND NOTES
 

  1. Live performance of broilers was significantly affected by protein level (high > low) and protein source (VEG > VEG + ANI).
  2. Processing yields were not influenced by diet regimens or sex, except for the abdominal fat yields (VEG + ANI > VEG).
  3. Footpad lesions were significantly affected by protein level (high > low), protein source (VEG > VEG + ANI), and sex (male > female) at d 54 of age.
  4. The severe pododermatitis lesions increased 2-fold by protein level (21% for high protein vs. 10% for low protein) and by sex (21% for males vs. 10% for females) and tripled by protein source (23% for VEG vs. 8% for VEG + ANI).
  5. Litter N and NH3-N were significantly affected by protein level (high > low) and protein source (VEG > VEG + ANI).


   REFERENCES AND NOTES
TOP
 SUMMARY
 DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
 CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS
 REFERENCES AND NOTES
 

  1. Nairn, M. E., and A. R. A. Watson. 1972. Leg weakness of poultry: A clinical and pathological characterization. Vet. J. 48:645–656.[Medline]
  2. Martland, M. F. 1985. Ulcerative dermatitis in broiler chickens: The effects of wet litter. Avian Pathol. 14:241–252.
  3. Greene, J. A., R. M. McCracken, and R. T. Evans. 1985. A contact dermatitis of broilers—clinical and pathological findings. Avian Pathol. 14:23–38.[Medline]
  4. Mayne, R. K. 2005. A review of the etiology and possible causative factors of foot pad dermatitis in growing turkeys and broilers. World’s Poult. Sci. J. 61:256–267.[ISI]
  5. Bilgili, S. F., G. I. Montenegro, J. B. Hess, and M. K. Eckman. 1999. Sand as a litter source for rearing broiler chickens. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 8:345–351.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  6. Bilgili, S. F., G. I. Montenegro, J. B. Hess, and M. K. Eckman. 1999. Live performance, carcass quality and deboning yields of broilers reared on sand as a litter. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 8:352–361.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  7. Mayne, R. K., R. W. Else, and P. M. Hocking. 2006. What causes foot pad dermatitis in growing turkeys? Pages 33–35 in Proc. 29th Tech. Turkey Conf. 54, Manchester, UK. Turkeys, Leyburn, UK.
  8. Martland, M. F. 1984. Wet litter as a cause of plantar pododermatitis, leading to foot ulceration and lameness in fattening turkeys. Avian Pathol. 13:241–252.[Medline]
  9. Harms, R. B., B. L. Damron, and C. F. Simpson. 1977. Effect of wet litter and supplemental biotin and/or whey on the production of foot pad dermatitis in broilers. Poult. Sci. 56:291–296.[ISI][Medline]
  10. Menzies, F. D., E. A. Goodall, D. A. McConaghy, and M. J. Alcorn. 1998. An update on the epidemiology of contact dermatitis in commercial broilers. Avian Pathol. 27:174–180.[Medline]
  11. Martrenchar, A., E. Boilletot, D. Huonnic, and F. Pol. 2002. Risk factors for foot-pad dermatitis in chicken and turkey broilers in France. Prev. Vet. Med. 52:213–226.[ISI][Medline]
  12. Bilgili, S. F., M. A. Alley, J. B. Hess, and E. T. Moran Jr. 2005. Influence of strain-cross, sex and feeding programs on broiler chicken paw (feet) yield and quality. Pages 342–349 in XVIIth Eur. Symp. Qual. Poult. Meat, Doorweth, the Netherlands. World’s Poult. Sci. Assoc., Beekbergen, the Netherlands.
  13. Bilgili, S. F., M. A. Alley, J. B. Hess, and M. Nagaraj. 2006. Influence of age and sex on foot pad quality and yield in broiler chickens reared on low and high density diets. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 15:433–441.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  14. Whitehead, C. C., and D. W. Bannister. 1981. Aspects of metabolism related to the occurrence of skin lesions in biotin-deficient chicks. Br. Poult. Sci. 22:467–472.[ISI][Medline]
  15. Jensen, L. S., R. Martinson, and G. Schumaier. 1970. A foot pad dermatitis in turkey poults associated with soybean meal. Poult. Sci. 49:76–82.[ISI][Medline]
  16. Abbott, W. W., J. R. Couch, and R. L. Atkinson. 1969. The incidence of foot-pad dermatitis in young turkey fed high levels of soybean meal. Poult. Sci. 48:2186–2188.[ISI]
  17. Boling, S. D., and J. D. Firman. 1997. Rendered by-products as soybean meal replacement in turkey rations. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 6:210–215.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  18. The chicks were sexed before placement and placed separately. The pens were 1.70 x 2.30 m in dimension with a final stocking density of 12.14 birds/m2.
  19. The scoring system followed was a 3-point score in which the footpad lesions were assigned to 1 of 3 values: 0 = footpads with no lesions, dermal ridges intact within central plantar footpad surface, with or without discoloration; 1 = footpads with mild lesions, dermal ridges not intact within a central, round to oval ulcer on the central plantar footpad surface, roughened lesion surface with small tag of crust <1.5 cm in diameter; and 2 = footpads with severe lesions, a brown crust >1.5 cm in diameter adhered to the central plantar footpad, sometimes extending up to the hock joint.
  20. Litter samples were collected by core-sampling litter with a 100-mL beaker at 5 locations (4 corners and center) in the pen and pooled before analysis.
  21. Watson, M., A. Wolf, and N. Wolf. 2003. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen. Recommended Methods of Manure Analysis (A3769). I-2/2003. Univ. Wisconsin Extension. http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A3769.pdf Accessed Feb. 2003.
  22. Peters, J., A. Wolf, and N. Wolf. 2003. Ammonia-N determination by combustion. Recommended Methods of Manure Analysis (A3769). I-2/2003. Univ. Wisconsin Extension. http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/A3769.pdf Accessed Feb. 2003.
  23. The data were analyzed for main effects, 2-way and 3-way interactions among the protein levels, sources, and sex. Percentage data were transformed to arcsine values before analysis, and the significance level was set at P < 0.05.
  24. SAS Institute, 2002–2003. SAS/STAT Users Guide for Personal Computers. Release 9.1. SAS Inst. Inc, Raleigh, NC.
  25. Deaton, J. W., and B. D. Lott. 1985. Age and diet energy effect on broiler abdominal fat deposition. Poult. Sci. 64:2161–2164.[ISI][Medline]
  26. Wang, G., C. Ekstrand, and J. Svedberg. 1998. Wet litter and perches as risk factors for the development of foot pad dermatitis in floor-housed hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 39:191–197.[ISI][Medline]




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