Microbiota on the surface of footpads and meat quality of broiler chickens with different footpad dermatitis scores

Authors: CHOI, JANGHAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); GOO, DOYUN - University Of Georgia; Kong, Byungwhi; Bowker, Brian; Zhuang, Hong; KIM, WOO KYUN - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2023
Publication Date: 7/10/2023
Citation: Choi, J., Goo, D., Kong, B.C., Bowker, B.C., Zhuang, H., Kim, W. 2023. Microbiota on the surface of footpads and meat quality of broiler chickens with different footpad dermatitis scores. Meeting Abstract. 102/120-121.

Interpretive Summary: While chicken feet were considered as waste products in the US, chicken feet are popular feed ingredients in many countries and exported to many countries from the US. According to a report, more than 200,000 MT of chicken feet, valued more than $450 million were exported to China from the US in 2021. It has been important to produce favorable quality of chicken feet. Foot pad dermatitis (FPD), a type of skin inflammation with necrotic lesions on the surface of chicken feet, degrades quality of chicken feet. However, there are no specific strategies to decrease incidence of FPD other than controlling litter ammonia and moisture levels in broiler production. We investigated microbiota on the surface of foot pad to find novel strategies to prevent FPD in broiler chickens. We found that Enterobacteriaceae could be beneficial bacteria to improve health of foot pad of broiler chickens. The relationships between FPD and meat yield and quality were investigated. This study showed that broilers with higher FPD had higher breast meat portion and lower breast meat pH. More studies are required to understand relationships between FPD and meat quality in broiler chickens. In conclusion, FPD modulated microbiota on the surface of foot pad and meat yield and quality in broiler chickens.

Technical Abstract: Chicken feet are consumed in many countries and are important export products for the US. Diverse microbes are harbored on the surface of chicken feet and pathogenic bacteria may enter inside of the body via chicken foot skin, which may negatively influence muscle physiology. The purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate microbiota on footpads at different broiler ages and in broilers with different footpad dermatitis (FPD) scores on D 42, and 2) to investigate the relationship between breast meat quality of broiler chickens and FPD scores. Broilers were raised for D 42 in floor pens (L: 1.52 m; W: 1.22 m; H:0.61 m; 13.48 birds per m2) with pine shavings. On D 7, 21, and 42, eight birds with healthy feet were selected for comparing microbiota on footpads at different ages. On D 42, 24 birds (8 birds per FPD score 0, 1, and 2) were selected for investigating relationships between FPD score and microbiota and between FPD score and breast meat quality. Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to evaluate the significance of linear or quadratic relationship between FPD and measurements. On the footpad surface, relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria linearly decreased as broiler age increased (P < 0.05) and alpha diversity parameters including shannon entropy and observed features of bacterial communities linearly decreased as FPD score increased. Beta diversity analyses indicated that footpads with different FPD scores had significantly different microbial communities on D 42 (P < 0.05). As the FPD score increased on D 42, relative abundance of family Enterobacteriaceae on the footpad surface linearly decreased (P < 0.05) and phylum Proteobacteria tended to linearly decrease (P = 0.069); however, the serum endotoxin level tended to increase (P = 0.059), and the relative portion of pectoralis major was quadratically increased (P < 0.05). Additionally, pH of pectoralis major tended to linearly decrease (P = 0.076) and the lightness of pectoralis major tended to linearly increase as FPD score increased (P = 0.088). In conclusion, our data indicate that FPD affected microbiota on the surface of footpads, and broilers with different FPD had different breast meat portion and breast meat quality.