Farm Animals

Broiler Chicken Footpad Dermatitis Scoring and Farm Management

Footpad dermatitis (FPD) in broilers indicates poor litter quality and causes chronic pain. Systematic scoring drives management improvements that reduce bird suffering.

Key Facts

FPD affects up to 80% of birds in poorly managed flocks
Lesions range from minor discolouration to deep ulcers causing severe pain
Wet litter from inadequate ventilation, high stocking density, and poor drinker management causes FPD
EU regulations require FPD monitoring with management action at threshold scores
Scoring at slaughter provides population-level welfare data that can feed back to farms
Lower stocking densities and improved litter management dramatically reduce FPD prevalence

Welfare Considerations

Footpad dermatitis causes chronic pain from inflammatory lesions on the plantar surface of the foot. Birds with severe FPD show altered gait, reluctance to walk, and reduced time at feeders - behaviours indicating ongoing pain and welfare compromise. The slaughterhouse scoring system creates a feedback loop from slaughter data to farm management, making it one of the more effective welfare monitoring tools in intensive poultry production.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken products from processors reporting low FPD scores
Support regulatory requirements for FPD reporting to be publicly accessible
Advocate for FPD thresholds to trigger mandatory management intervention on farm