Good housing conditions, peat as bedding material, whole grain feeding (low protein, high digestability) and excellent gut health of the broilers without the need for antibiotic treatments provide a solid basis for good foot pad condition and welfare of the Finnish broilers.
Footpad scores as welfare indicator
National data (> 99 % of the production) of the foot pad lesion scores is collected by Animal Health ETT in Finland:
Foot pad scores in broiler flocks 2012-2023
See also:
Foot pad dermatitis is infrequent in Finnish broilers (Poster, Xth European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, Ploufragan, France 2017)