Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Understanding lameness in poultry - how they walk
By Corr, S A et al.Ā·Published in Research in veterinary scienceĀ·1998Ā·Department of Environment and Welfare, United KingdomĀ·View original on PubMed ā
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research ā every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work ā
Original publication title: Gait analysis of poultry.
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
Lameness, or difficulty walking, is a big issue for chickens in the UK, but not much research has been done to understand how they normally walk. This study looked at a new way to analyze their walking using a special device called a pedobarograph, which measures pressure on different parts of their feet. The researchers found that the highest pressure was on the front and back toes, while a part of the foot often injured had lower pressure. They also measured how much force the chickens used when walking, which was similar to what humans use. Overall, this study helps us better understand how chickens walk and could lead to better ways to prevent lameness in the future.
Abstract
Lameness is a major problem in the UK poultry industry, however, relatively few objective studies have been undertaken into the biomechanics of normal walking in these birds. In this study, the use of a pedobarograph as a novel method of gait analysis in poultry was investigated. Unlike most systems, the pedobarograph has a recording surface with a high degree of spatial resolution, allowing pressure patterns to be established for various regions of the foot. The highest pressures were found to act on the medial toe (149.4-218 kN m(-2)) and back toe (146.1-195.5 kN m(-2)). The metatarsal pad, a region often associated with lesions, was subject to lower pressures (16.3-131.2 kN m(-2)). Maximum net forces of 116-145 per cent of bodyweight were found during normal walking, an order of the same magnitude as human bipeds. Routine spatial parameters were also measured, allowing further characterisation of the gait patterns.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9915149/