Effects of high electrolyte contents in the diet and using floor heating on development and severity of foot pad dermatitis in young turkeys.

Abstract

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a very common disease affecting poultry and is mostly caused by bad litter condition. This study aimed to test the effects of poultry diets with normal levels of electrolytes compared with a surplus level of electrolytes with and without using floor heating. Eighty two-week-old ♀ turkey poults were reared over 3 weeks on wood shavings, divided randomly into four groups. Two groups were fed normal levels of electrolytes (1.60 g Na; 7.80 g K/kg diet), and the other two groups were fed surplus levels of electrolytes (3.10; 15.3 g/kg diet). In each dietary treatment, half of the birds were exposed to floor heating. Half of the birds in each group were exposed for 4 h/day to wet litter (35% water) in adjacent separate boxes. External assessment of foot pads was performed weekly. High dietary electrolytes increased the severity of FPD significantly (3.65 ± 1.03). Floor heating is likely to be highly effective in significantly reducing the severity of FPD (2.36 ± 0.588). Despite forced water intake, the litter became drier when floor heating was in use. Combining low Na and K levels with a floor heating system reduced the scores of FPD by approximately 60%, compared with high electrolyte levels without floor heating. Therefore, both dietary electrolyte levels and floor heating markedly affected FPD via litter moisture.

• Authors: A Abd El-Wahab, C F Visscher, A Beineke, M Beyerbach, J Kamphues
• Journal: Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition (J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl)) Vol. 97 Issue 1 Pg. 39-47 (Feb 2013) ISSN: 1439-0396 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 21992026 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
• Copyright: © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Chemical References

• Electrolytes

Topics

• Animal Feed (analysis)
• Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
• Animals
• Dermatitis (etiology, pathology, prevention & control, veterinary)
• Diet (veterinary)
• Electrolytes (chemistry, toxicity)
• Female
• Floors and Floorcoverings
• Foot Diseases (etiology, pathology, prevention & control, veterinary)
• Heating
• Housing, Animal
• Poultry Diseases (etiology, pathology, prevention & control)
• Turkeys