Animal Bioscience

Asian Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (아세아태평양축산학회)
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Impact of litter on femur and tibial morphology, bone biomechanics, and leg health parameters in broiler chickens

  • Komal Khan (Department of Basic Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (subcampus Jhang)) ;
  • Mehmet Kaya (Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University) ;
  • Evrim Dereli Fidan (Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University) ;
  • Figen Sevil Kilimci (Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aydin Adnan Menderes University)
  • Received : 2022.08.30
  • Accepted : 2023.02.08
  • Published : 2023.09.01
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Abstract

Objective: In this study effects of three types of beddings on broiler leg health and bone biomechanics were evaluated. Methods: A total of 504 male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed on three beddings (4 replicates/group; 42 birds/pen), zeolite-added litter (ZL), plastic-grid flooring (PF), and wood shavings (WS). On day 42, chickens were weighed, slaughtered, and samples (bone, muscle, and drumstick) were collected. Bones were subjected to leg health tests, morphometric measurements, biomechanical testing, and ash analysis. Results: Broilers in PF and WS groups showed higher live weight than the ZL group (p<0.001), and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and varus valgus deformity due to distal bending was significantly higher in PF (p<0.001). Multinomial logistic regression showed that bedding has a significant (p = 0.038) contribution toward the development of TD. Tibial strength (p = 0.040), drumstick width (p = 0.001), and total femur and epiphyseal ash contents (p = 0.044, 0.016) were higher in the ZL group. Chicken live weight was correlated with tibial length and weight (r = 0.762, 0.725). Conclusion: Flooring and the type of bedding material directly affect broiler bone length, strength and leg health. Plastic bedding improves the slaughter weight of chickens on the expense of leg deformities, and zeolite litter improves leg health and bone strength.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The bone samples used in our study were obtained from the project named "The Effects of Different Litter Materials on Performance, Meat Quality, Some Behavior and Welfare Parameters in Broilers (VTF-20009)" which was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Aydin Adnan Menderes University (64583101/2019/124). The authors are thankful to Prof. Dr. Mehmet Erkut Kara (Anatomy Department, ADU) for advice on biomechanics.

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