Does the season and bedding material affect the incidence of pododermatitis? Analysis of the situation in Slovakia

Footpad dermatitis is a multifactorial health problem that occurs in chickens that are raised in suboptimal conditions and is mainly influenced by the choice of bedding material, microclimate, gastrointestinal health and stocking density. Aim of the study was to evaluate the current level of occurrence of pododermatitis on poultry farms in Slovakia to identify the assumed factors that most negatively affect the health of footpads. A total of 4219 animals were evaluated on 14 farms, during 41 measurements. We evaluated the influence of different bedding materials (peat, straw pellets and straw) and the season of the year. Footpads were graded to 0-4 and footpad dermatitis score was calculated. 49 % of the measurements were evaluated above footpad dermatitis index of 120 points what is the limit set in several countries of Western Europe. Our analysis shows that even in Slovakia there are farms that meet welfare standards of Western and Northern Europe, but there are also farms where the health of the footpads requires improvement. The effect of the bedding material and the season was significant. The lowest incidence of lesions on footpads was recorded on peat, followed by straw pellets and the highest incidence was on wheat straw. Season of the year also had a statistical effect on the incidence of pododermatitis. The lowest average value was measured in summer and the highest in autumn. The season had the lowest effect on the peat, on which the best measurements were generally taken.