title: Questionnaire study and postmortem findings in backyard chicken flocks in Finland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although modern commercial poultry production today is based on large farms and intensive husbandry, keeping backyard poultry has regained popularity in industrialized countries. However, the health status of backyard flocks is still relatively poorly documented. A questionnaire was sent to the owners of 376 backyard poultry flocks (<500 birds) in order to study health management procedures and characterize backyard poultry populations in Finland. Information was also collected on the postmortem findings from non-commercial flocks using necropsy data from the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Backyard flocks in Finland are small in size (<50 birds), comprising mainly chickens. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the health of such flocks is good, mortality low and vaccinations are not commonly used. Most of the flocks were registered in the national poultry register. The standard biosecurity practices are not generally applied and contact with wild birds, pets and farm animals is frequent, which can make the flocks more prone to infectious diseases. We conducted an 11-year retrospective study of the postmortem necropsy findings of the Evira in order to document the diseases, which caused mortality in backyard chickens in Finland. Necropsy was performed on a total of 132 non-commercial laying hens during 2000 - 2011. The most common postmortem findings were Marek's disease (27%) and colibacillosis (17%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to report data on characteristics of and management practices for backyard chicken flocks in Finland. Close connections with commercial flocks are rare and farms are usually distantly located suggesting that the risk that these backyard flocks pose to commercial poultry is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Leissantie 43, FI-04920, Saarentaus, Finland. leena.pohjola@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pohjola
authors.affiliation: Production Animal and Wildlife Health, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Mustialankatu 3, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland. laila.rossow@evira.fi.
authors.forename: Laila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossow
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Virology, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Mustialankatu 3, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland. anita.huovilainen@evira.fi.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huovilainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Leissantie 43, FI-04920, Saarentaus, Finland. timo.soveri@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soveri
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöberginkatu 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland. marja-liisa.hanninen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Marja-Liisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hänninen
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöberginkatu 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland. maria.fredriksson-ahomaa@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredriksson-Ahomaa
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D008297:Male; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires