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Production chain parameters associated with condemnation at slaughter due to skin lesions and cellulitis in broiler chickens: A retrospective observational study.

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Title: Production chain parameters associated with condemnation at slaughter due to skin lesions and cellulitis in broiler chickens: A retrospective observational study.
Authors: Jonare L; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: liv.jonare@sva.se., Egenvall A; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: agneta.egenvall@slu.se., Jansson DS; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: desiree.jansson@slu.se.
Source: Preventive veterinary medicine [Prev Vet Med] 2026 Oct; Vol. 255, pp. 106960. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 15.
Publication Type: Journal Article; Observational Study, Veterinary
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8217463 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-1716 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01675877 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Prev Vet Med Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier Scientific Publishing
Original Publication: Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier, [1982-
MeSH Terms: Animal Husbandry*/methods , Cellulitis*/veterinary , Cellulitis*/epidemiology , Cellulitis*/pathology , Dermatitis*/veterinary , Dermatitis*/epidemiology , Poultry Diseases*/epidemiology , Poultry Diseases*/pathology , Poultry Diseases*/etiology , Chickens*, Animals ; Abattoirs ; Retrospective Studies
Abstract: Cellulitis in commercially reared broiler chickens is a common cause of condemnation at slaughter. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to identify parameters in the broiler production chain that could be associated with the condemnation percentage due to dermatitis/cellulitis at meat inspection. Production data were acquired from an industry production database and involved 90 farms and 4697 broiler chicken flocks placed from May 2021 to November 2022. Data were analysed using mixed effect modelling with broiler compartment nested in farm as the random effect. The analyses showed that higher mean age of parent flocks and higher stocking density at placement in combination with age of chicken flocks at slaughter were associated with higher condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis. Higher footpad score was associated with lower condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis, even at the slaughterhouse which had a higher dermatitis/cellulitis condemnation percentage. In flocks where thinning was practiced, defined as by more than four days between slaughter occasions, there was lower condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis. In addition, small broiler compartments, season, feed mills and feed company were associated with the outcome. There was a risk of information bias as multiple stakeholders contributed data. As several parameters were associated with condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis the results suggest a multi-factorial preventive approach. Further, the study emphasizes the need for further research to understand how these parameters affect the condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis.
(Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Associated parameters; Broiler chickens; Cellulitis; Condemnation; Dermatitis; Directed acyclic graph (DAG); Meat inspection; Mixed effect model
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260720 Date Completed: 20260829 Latest Revision: 20260902
Update Code: 20260903
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106960
PMID: 42476097
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Production chain parameters associated with condemnation at slaughter due to skin lesions and cellulitis in broiler chickens: A retrospective observational study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Jonare+L%22">Jonare L</searchLink>; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: liv.jonare@sva.se.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Egenvall+A%22">Egenvall A</searchLink>; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: agneta.egenvall@slu.se.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Jansson+DS%22">Jansson DS</searchLink>; Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7054, Uppsala SE750 07, Sweden. Electronic address: desiree.jansson@slu.se.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%228217463%22">Preventive veterinary medicine</searchLink> [Prev Vet Med] 2026 Oct; Vol. 255, pp. 106960. <i>Date of Electronic Publication: </i>2026 Jul 15.
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  Data: <i>Publication</i>: Amsterdam : Elsevier Scientific Publishing<br /><i>Original Publication</i>: Amsterdam, Netherlands : Elsevier, [1982-
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Animal+Husbandry%22">Animal Husbandry*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Animal+Husbandry+methods%22">methods</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis%22">Cellulitis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis+veterinary%22">veterinary</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis%22">Cellulitis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis+epidemiology%22">epidemiology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis%22">Cellulitis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Cellulitis+pathology%22">pathology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Dermatitis%22">Dermatitis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Dermatitis+veterinary%22">veterinary</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Dermatitis%22">Dermatitis*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Dermatitis+epidemiology%22">epidemiology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases%22">Poultry Diseases*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases+epidemiology%22">epidemiology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases%22">Poultry Diseases*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases+pathology%22">pathology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases%22">Poultry Diseases*</searchLink>/<searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Poultry+Diseases+etiology%22">etiology</searchLink> <br /><searchLink fieldCode="MM" term="%22Chickens%22">Chickens*</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Animals%22">Animals</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Abattoirs%22">Abattoirs</searchLink> ; <searchLink fieldCode="MH" term="%22Retrospective+Studies%22">Retrospective Studies</searchLink>
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  Data: Cellulitis in commercially reared broiler chickens is a common cause of condemnation at slaughter. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to identify parameters in the broiler production chain that could be associated with the condemnation percentage due to dermatitis/cellulitis at meat inspection. Production data were acquired from an industry production database and involved 90 farms and 4697 broiler chicken flocks placed from May 2021 to November 2022. Data were analysed using mixed effect modelling with broiler compartment nested in farm as the random effect. The analyses showed that higher mean age of parent flocks and higher stocking density at placement in combination with age of chicken flocks at slaughter were associated with higher condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis. Higher footpad score was associated with lower condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis, even at the slaughterhouse which had a higher dermatitis/cellulitis condemnation percentage. In flocks where thinning was practiced, defined as by more than four days between slaughter occasions, there was lower condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis. In addition, small broiler compartments, season, feed mills and feed company were associated with the outcome. There was a risk of information bias as multiple stakeholders contributed data. As several parameters were associated with condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis the results suggest a multi-factorial preventive approach. Further, the study emphasizes the need for further research to understand how these parameters affect the condemnation due to dermatitis/cellulitis.<br /> (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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  Data: <i>Keywords: </i>Associated parameters; Broiler chickens; Cellulitis; Condemnation; Dermatitis; Directed acyclic graph (DAG); Meat inspection; Mixed effect model
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2026.106960
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        StartPage: 106960
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      – SubjectFull: Animals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Abattoirs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Retrospective Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animal Husbandry methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cellulitis veterinary
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      – SubjectFull: Cellulitis epidemiology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cellulitis pathology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Dermatitis veterinary
        Type: general
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      – SubjectFull: Chickens
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Production chain parameters associated with condemnation at slaughter due to skin lesions and cellulitis in broiler chickens: A retrospective observational study.
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              Text: 2026 Oct
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