Insight into turkey locomotor dysfunction
The EC-funded TURKEY GAIT DISORDER sought to examine the abnormally high incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in turkeys. TD is a locomotor dysfunction encountered usually during growth stages. Scientists have suggested that the increase in TD cases can be attributed to selection processes and even to husbandry practices. The project examined a series of aspects of TD in turkeys including its effect on animal welfare. The UK-based Roslin Institute designed experiments to examine skeletal morphometry and gait in diseased turkeys. The study sample was made up of six different strains of widely varying size and conformation. The studies showed that TD had no significant effects on skeletal morphometry and TD lesions also appeared to have no effect on gait. Consequently, researchers considered TD to have no primary welfare consequences. In terms of secondary welfare consequences, TD was linked to specific lesions in a small proportion of affected birds but once again gait and behaviour appeared unaffected. Overall, these studies could provide a complete picture on the incidence of TD and its effects on turkey welfare. Researchers are keen to enter into suitable information exchange collaborations with parties active in this area of research.
