Effect of Perch Cooling and Litter Thickness on Leg Health and Bone Characteristics in Broilers

The study was aimed at assessing the leg health variables (footpad dermatitis, hock burn, tibial dyschondroplasia, gait score), tarsometatarsus asymmetry, and physical properties of tibiatarsus of broilers reared with perch application and different litter thicknesses. A total of 459 one-day old Ross-308 broiler chicks were allocated into 27 pens, each containing 17 chicks, in a 3 (perch treatments)x 3 (litter treatments) experimental design with three replications. The position of both cooled and non-cooled perches was set to make animals pass over the perch for feeding and drinking. The perch temperature was set to 10°C for cooled perches while litter thicknesses were 1, 7, and 14 cm. Results showed that cooled perches decreased the severity of footpad and gait score, and tibial dyschondroplasia in broilers. Footpad dermatitis and hock burn score decreased in broilers reared at 14 cm litter. It was determined that the length and width of tarsometatarsus at 42 day of age was increased in cooled perch and 1 cm litter group. Tibia length and robustness index in cooled perch group was found higher than those in non-cooled and no-perch groups. The perch application has no effect on the weight-length and tibio-tarsal indexes. Tibia lengths in 1 cm (103.81 mm) litter thickness group were higher than in both 7 and 14 cm groups. The bones from 1 cm litter thickness group were found heavier (21.55 g) than in 7 cm litter group. These results indicated that cooled perch and 14 cm litter thickness has a beneficial effect on broilers’ well-being in hot weathers.​