Use of ImitoMeasure Application to evaluate of Footpad Lesions in Broilers

A trial was performed in broilers, with the aim of evaluate Footpad lesions (FPL), that often affects flocks welfare [1]. A total of 89,200 Ross 308 chickens (39±3g) were housed in two sheds (C, control; T, treated) at the same environmental conditions. Females were housed in the first part of each shed, and males in the second and third part. A bacterial bedding conditioner (EazyBed Pro, Lallemand, France) was applied in T: a pre-treatment (30g/m2) was carried out on the floor before placing the litter and, from week 1 to the end of the cycle, the conditioner was applied weekly on the litter (90g/m2). In C no treatments were carried out. Females were slaughtered at 36d (T: 1528±195g; C: 1562±188g) and males utilized the whole space until 43d (T: 2696±296; C: 2737±364). At 20d and the day before capture (35 and 42d), 30 birds living in each part of the shed were randomly selected and, from both pads, the perimeter shape of each lesion was recorded. Shape measurements were obtained in cm2, using the imitoMeasure application for mobile digital smart devices (Imito AG, Zürich, Switzerland, version 3.0.1). The app was used on a tablet (iPad Air, 4th generation, 10.9-inch screen, iPadOS 16.2, Apple Inc., Cupertino, California). For bacteriological culture, litter was sampled at different depths, pooling 9 samples/part, at the same timepoints. At slaughtering, 12 legs for each group were randomly selected for histological examination. Each pad was analyzed using a scoring system, indicating the severity of lesions. At day 20, footpad lesions were not observed in birds. In T, lesions were significantly smaller than in C at 35 days (0.57±0.08cm2 vs. 1.47±0.14cm2; p<0.0001) and 42d, (0.65±0.18cm2 vs. 1.76±0.34; p=0.049). In litter collected in T, there was a significant reduction in Gram-negative bacteria (p=0.0015) and Staphylococcus spp. (p = 0.0386) counts, particularly notable in the second part of the shed (p=0.0098, p=0.0131 respectively). In terms of FPL, birds raised in T exhibited significantly lower total histological scores compared to birds in C (p=0.0002), especially among males (p<0.0001). Utilization of the ImitoMeasure Application facilitated objective lesion measurement, confirming the positive impact of the compound spread on the litter on reducing footpad lesion width. Furthermore, histological analysis demonstrated a decrease in lesion severity. Bacteriological findings revealed a reduction in the overall bacterial load commonly associated with footpad dermatitis.