Broiler Footpad Dermatitis: A Welfare and Audit Metric

Footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens is one of the most widely used welfare indicators in the poultry industry, reflecting litter quality and management standards.

Key Facts

Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is scored on a 0-2 scale from none to severe skin erosion
Severe FPD causes pain that alters gait and limits access to feed and water
FPD prevalence varies from near zero in well-managed flocks to over 40% in poorly managed ones
High FPD scores are associated with wet litter from drinker leakage, high stocking density, and nutritional imbalance
EU and UK regulations require processors to score footpads and report high-prevalence flocks to farmers

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis represents both a welfare indicator and a welfare problem in its own right. Severe lesions cause lameness through pain and inflammation that prevents normal walking, feeding, and dust bathing. The link between FPD and management quality makes it a useful audit metric: high FPD indicates poor litter management, potentially attributable to drinker problems, ventilation failure, or excessive stocking density. Mandatory FPD scoring at slaughter and feedback to farmers has been associated with improved management and reduced prevalence in countries where it is rigorously enforced. FPD scoring is now widely recognised as a practical, on-farm welfare outcome measure.

What You Can Do

Support regulatory systems that require FPD feedback from slaughterplants to farms
Advocate for financial incentives that reward low FPD scores in broiler assurance schemes
Choose chicken products from farms with verified low FPD prevalence
Learn how FPD scoring works as a way to evaluate poultry welfare standards
Support research into management interventions that effectively reduce FPD prevalence