Every sports person has at some point probably suffered with 'athlete’s foot', a skin issue largely caused by having feet hot and sweaty through exercise and trapped in trainers for large portions of the day.

Footpad dermatitis in poultry is not much different. The birds are star performers but they do need to be treated with the best possible care if they are to truly excel. One of the main causes of footpad dermatitis is wet and sticky litter, very similar to leaving feet in hot sweaty shoes all day.

This leads into a number of management possibilities from water and feed control to ventilation and even lighting. For example, hanging lights vertically can provide a more uniform light covering, encouraging birds to spread and use all the floor space. Similarly, the only ventilation should be planned ventilation; any draughts can cause birds to huddle or avoid certain areas, and a draught-proof house is a happy house!

Finally, take the time to make sure everything in the house is clean, serviced and maintained between flocks. It is a great time to catch up on works that are impossible at usual times and the extra effort can pay dividends when it comes to footpad issues.

For full information on avoiding footpad dermatitis in broilers, please visit Aviagen's Technical Center.

Further Reading

Find out more information on footpad dermatitis by clicking here.