Footpad Health

Keeping poultry feet clean, dry and healthy helps improve overall health and well-being of the flock. Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is a condition that causes necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads in growing broilers and turkeys. Recent research suggests there are a myriad of interacting factors that lead to FPD.

Active management of three critical factors can greatly help improve conditions and avoid FPD development.

1. Keep the Litter Dry

High litter moisture contributes to FPD development. Litter moisture at levels above 30 percent are highly detrimental to feet health especially in very young birds.

The job of bedding is to absorb moisture and then to allow evaporation to occur.

2. Bedding Material and Depth

The role of bedding material is to absorb and then allow for evaporation of moisture.

Litter must be present in adequate quantities and balanced with the type of material used for the bedding, it’s particle size, moisture content, caking rate, etc. Recent research proves a direct correlation between adequate bedding depth and improved foot health (and less FPD). These factors contribute to overall bird health and performance. (Shepard et al 2017).

1. Nutrition

The ration the birds eat affects the quality and consistency of the litter they walk upon. These factors can also influence development of FPD.

Research has also shown a possible genetic link in the susceptibility to development of FPD lesions. Producers continue to work to optimize these factors to understand the condition and the strategies that can be used to prevent it.

Do you have more questions that are not covered in this article? If you need help designing and planning, please contact Summit Livestock Facilities at 800.213.0567 or click here to email us. If you are ready to get a price, click here to request a quote and a member of our customer engagement team will help you determine the next steps of your project.