Commercially reared poultry have increased in size over the last 50 years through improvements in nutrition and genetic selection. This increase in weight, however, has also put pressure on their extremities, including legs. Carefully implemented genetic selection for larger birds has included increased breast meat proportions to satisfy white-meat demands by consumers. In keeping up with market demands, some unintended consequences that are becoming evident must be addressed for the health of our bird populations and industry alike, especially as it relates to leg health and bird mobility.
Within the realm of science is an omnipresent theme — the maintenance of homeostasis. Body systems work together to form one entity and changes in one system can lead to an imbalance in another. For example, in poultry, skeletal structure may become unable to support the meat deposition of commercial birds as growth occurs faster than seen previously. The entire bird must be healthy and supporting traits are accounted for in genetic selection. Despite this, “genetics” always appears to get a bad rap and has been the go-to answer to explain several varieties of bird health issues. But bird health is a complex and worthy discussion in the poultry industry, as there are many contributing factors in bird health and maintenance. There are many variables that affect leg confirmation, and the answer may not be as straightforward as you may think.