Leg disorders in broiler chickens: a review of current knowledge

Figures & data

Figure 1. Risk factors, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of leg disease in broiler chickens. (a) Risk factors for broiler leg disease. (b) Diagnosis of leg disease in broiler chickens. (c) Prevention of leg disease in broiler chickens. (d) Treatment of leg disease in broiler chickens. Rightsholder: Shucheng Huang, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.

Table 1. Prevalence of broiler leg disease across various countries.

Country	Leg disease	Incidence rate	References
Denmark	TD	51.7%	(15)
	VVD	37%
	Toe curvature and foot pad burn	32.6%
	Ankle-plantar asymmetric development	42.0%
England	Movement disorders	27%	(16)
	Leg paralysis	3.3%
Finland	Gait score ≥ 3	30%	(17)
	TD	3.5%
Norway	Gait score ≥ 3	19%	(18)
Bulgaria	Chondromalacia	10%	(19)
	TD	24.22%-27.7%
China	VVD	1.75%	(12)

Table 2. Effects of disease factors on the health of broiler legs.

Factors	Disease Name	Effect on broiler leg	References
Viral diseases	MD	Attacks the sciatic nerve and causes paralysis of the legs	(9, 28–31)
	AE	Encephalomyelitis
	VA	Swelling of the wing joint with damage to the gastrocnemius and toe flexor tendons
Bacterial diseases	BCO	Hematogenous colonization and physitis of the femoral and tibial growth plates	(10, 32,33,34, 35)
	Enterococcus cecum infection	Enterococcal spondylitis
	Mycoplasma synoviae infection	Infectious synovitis
	Salmonella enteritidis infection	Purulent arthritis
	Staphylococcus agnetis infection	Bacterial cartilage necrosis
Fungal diseases	AFB1 intoxication	Leg torsion TD	(26, 36)
Parasitic diseases	Eimeria spp. infection	Nutritional deficiency leg disease	(27, 37)
	Mite infection	Swollen hind metatarsal claws and scaly skin hyperplasia

Table 3. Role of vitamins in the diet for the bone health of broiler chickens.

Name	Synonyms	Types	Physiological functions	Effect on broiler bones	References
Vitamin A	Retinoln	A1(Retinol) A2 (3-dehydroretinol)	Scavenging free radicals Maintaining vision Maintaining the integrity of skin mucosa Promoting immune function Regulation of cell growth and differentiation	VitaminA-excessive: TD, Osteoporosis, and Fracture Vitamin A-deficient: Skeletal dysplasia	(56, 57, 58)
Vitamin B	–	B1(Thiamin) B2(Riboflavin) B3(Nicotinic acid) B5(Pantothenic acid) B6(Pyridoxols) B7(Biotin) B9(Folic acid) B12(Cobalamin)	Reduces inflammatory response Promoting metabolism of amino acids, proteins and fats Maintaining normal organizational integrity. Promoting epithelial cell growth	Bone development retardation Deformity of the tibio-metatarsal joint TD Medial deviations of the tibio-tarsal and tarsal-metatarsal bones Curled-toe paralysis	(59, 60, 61)
Vitamin C	Ascorbic acid	–	Anti-Cancer Scavenging free radicals Promoting the biosynthesis of bone collagen Improved utilization of iron, calcium and folic acid Improving lipid metabolism and preventing cardiovascular diseases Enhancing stress resistance and immunity Strong Organization	TD	(62)
Vitamin D	–	Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol)	Regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism Promoting bone growth Regulation of cell growth and differentiation Regulating immune function	TD Rickets Chondropathy Varus and valgus deformities	(63)
Vitamin E	–	–	Anti-oxidation Scavenging free radicals Protect skin and mucous membrane	Muscular dystrophy Lateral or medial deviation of the distal tibia or proximal metatarsus	(61)

Table 4. Broiler requirements for various forms of essential trace elements crucial for bone formation (mg/kg).

Trace elements	Inorganic	Organic	References
Manganese(Mn)	74.30	38.0	(108)
Iron(Fe)	80.0	80.0	(109)
Copper(Cu)	8.84	9.87	(110)
Zinc(Zn)	110.0	55.0	(111)
Selenium(Se)	0.30	0.30	(112)
Chromium(Cr)	1.60 ∼ 2.30	1.81	(113, 114)

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