Farm management risk factors associated with cellulitis in broiler chickens in southern Ontario

A mail survey of 171 farms with broiler chicken flocks processed in a single processing plant in southern Ontario was conducted during the period July-August 1393 as part of a retrospective study The population farm prevalence of cellulitis was 31/10,000 birds. The survey provided information about: the management of broiler chickens in southern Ontario and allowed investigation of the association between cellulitis and management risk factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between a binary outcome (high/low prevalence) and management risk factors using logistic regression. Cellulitis was positively associated (P less than or equal to 0.05) with male and mixed (males and females) flocks, use of straw as litter, certain feed companies, use of zinc bacitracin as a growth promoter, and other diseases diagnosed at the processing plane. Total down time was negatively associated with cellulitis.