Efecto De La Densidad Poblacional Y El Tipo De Ambiente De Producción Sobre La Prevalencia De Celulitis En Pollo De Engorde Destinado A Planta De Beneficio En Santander.

Abstract

Cellulitis is an inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue that causes changes in the color and quality of broiler chicken meat. It causes significant economic losses in the poultry sector worldwide due to its prevalence in different types of production environments, the significant number of seizures, and the reprocessing time it entails in processing plants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of cellulitis based on veterinary inspection at a processing plant located in the department of Santander, taking into account the type of farm environment from which the birds came and the population density at which the batch was managed. For this purpose, a sample size of 18 farms was established, half of which were controlled environment farms and the rest conventional environment farms that entered processing in September. Through the respective post-mortem examination, the corresponding monitoring of percentages of scratched skin and cellulitis was carried out, and the carcasses affected by this pathology were partially or totally rejected. A prevalence of cellulitis of 100% was observed in the farms evaluated. Higher percentages of cellulitis were found in controlled environment farms compared to conventional environment farms, and a correlation was found between higher population density and a greater incidence of scratches, cellulitis, and confiscations due to this pathology. It is concluded that both population density and the type of production environment directly influence the occurrence of cellulitis. However, other management and facility factors that also affect animal welfare must be taken into account, as they generate stressful situations that leave the bird susceptible to infectious agents.