A prospective study of cellulitis in broiler chickens in southern Ontario

This study investigated the associations among cellulitis and hatchery, farm, and abattoir factors. Forty-four broiler flocks from 24 farms located in southern Ontario were followed from hatching to processing. Poisson regression was used to analyze the data. Cellulitis as a count outcome (CELLCOUNT) was significantly associated (P < or = 0.05) with the hatchery of origin, strain of birds, farm size, type of litter, lighting system, total down time, prevalence of abdominal scratches, Escherichia coli-related conditions (SEROSITIS), ascites, and valgus varus deformity. However, only farm size, abdominal scratches, SEROSITIS, ascites, and valgus varus deformity were significant (P < or = 0.05) after adjusting for clustering. No significant associations were found between cellulitis and source of eggs, sex, average bird weight, feed company, growth promoter, or stocking density. Factors significantly associated with cellulitis in this study could be considered as potential risk factors for cellulitis in broiler chickens in southern Ontario.