Litter moisture and footpad dermatitis as affected by diets formulated on an all-vegetable basis or having the inclusion of poultry by-product

Chicken feet (paws) are valuable products in the Asian market. Foot dermatitis, mostly caused by litter condition, can affect the foot skin tissue leading to downgrades and reduced market value. In this study, a diet having animal by-products was compared with 2 all-vegetable diets formulated with corn, soybean meal, and toasted soybean with or without corn gluten meal. A total of 1,200 birds were placed in 24 pens with new pine shavings as litter. Each treatment had 8 replications. Birds were fed the experimental diets up to 40 d of age. Starting at 21 d of age, 10 birds per replication were labeled and submitted to weekly evaluations of foot dermatitis. Litter samples were also collected weekly to determine percentage of moisture. In general, litter moisture and incidence and severity of foot dermatitis increased as broilers aged. Inclusion of corn gluten meal consistently reduced the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis, which occurred in parallel with the reduction in litter moisture. Litter moisture from birds fed a diet with the inclusion of poultry by-product was similar to that obtained with corn gluten meal; however, benefits from reductions in foot dermatitis were not seen. It is concluded that feed formulation can affect litter moisture and the incidence and severity of foot dermatitis. Birds fed all-vegetable diets based exclusively on corn and soybean meal have an increased potential to develop footpad dermatitis as well as to produce excreta with greater percentages of moisture when compared with those fed diets with inclusions of poultry by-product or corn gluten meal.