title: 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: Institute of Animal Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, Hannover, Germany.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Abd El-Wahab
authors: C F
authors: CF
authors: Visscher
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Beineke
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Beyerbach
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kamphues
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D006361:Heating; D006799:Housing, Animal; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014422:Turkeys
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes