Orange corn diets associated with lower severity of footpad dermatitis in broilers

Area of Science:

• Poultry Science
• Animal Nutrition
• Animal Welfare

Background:

• Footpad dermatitis (FPD) negatively impacts poultry welfare and economic value due to pain, downgrades, and condemnations.
• Current preventative measures for FPD are insufficient, necessitating research into alternative dietary strategies.
• Orange corn, rich in carotenoids, is hypothesized to improve skin health and reduce FPD severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of orange corn, compared to yellow and white corn, in reducing FPD severity in broiler chickens.
• To investigate the effects of dietary corn type and litter moisture on FPD and overall broiler performance.
• To determine if carotenoid content in orange corn influences skin health and FPD outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A randomized block, 3x2 factorial design experiment involving 960 female Ross 708 broilers.
• Diets consisted of orange, yellow, or white corn, with birds raised on either wet or dry litter conditions.
• Footpad dermatitis was scored on a 0-2 scale at multiple time points (days 19, 27, 35, and 42).

Main Results:

• Wet litter significantly increased FPD severity (88% vs. 13% for dry litter) at 42 days of age.
• The orange corn diet showed the lowest prevalence of severe FPD (scores 1 or 2) at 33%, compared to white (56%) and yellow corn (63%).
• Birds fed orange corn exhibited higher body weight and greater yellow pigment deposition in fat pads and livers; litter moisture affected microbiome, but corn type did not.

Conclusions:

• Wet litter is the primary factor contributing to FPD severity in broiler chickens.
• Orange corn consumption is associated with reduced FPD severity and improved growth performance, particularly in challenging litter conditions.
• Dietary orange corn shows promise as a strategy to mitigate FPD and enhance broiler health and productivity.