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Effects of carprofen, meloxicam and butorphanol on broiler chickens’ performance in mobility tests

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

B Hothersall ,
G Caplen ,
RMA Parker ,
CJ Nicol ,
AE Waterman-Pearson ,
CA Weeks  and
JC Murrell
B Hothersall*
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
G Caplen
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
RMA Parker
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
CJ Nicol
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
AE Waterman-Pearson
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
CA Weeks
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
JC Murrell
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Lame broiler chickens perform poorly in standardised mobility tests and have nociceptive thresholds that differ from those of nonlame birds, even when confounding factors such as differences in bodyweight are accounted for. This study investigated whether these altered responses could be due to pain, by comparing performance in a Group Obstacle test and a Latency to Lie (LTL) test of lame (Gait Score [GS] 2.5-4) and non-lame (GS 0-1) broilers administered analgesia or a saline control. We used exploratory subcutaneous doses of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), meloxicam (5 mg kg−1) or carprofen (35 mg kg−1) or the opioid butorphanol tartrate (4 mg kg−1). We included butorphanol to explore the possibility that NSAIDs could improve mobility by reducing inflammation without necessarily invoking an analgesic effect. Lameness was a significant predictor in all analyses. Neither the number of obstacle crossings nor latency to cross an obstacle was significantly changed by either NSAID, but LTL was longer in lame birds given carprofen and meloxicam than in lame birds given saline. LTL was associated with foot-pad dermatitis and ameliorated by both NSAIDs. Butorphanol did not affect LTL but appeared soporific in the obstacle test, increasing latency to cross and, in non-lame birds, reducing the number of crossings. Combined with data from other studies, the results suggest carprofen and meloxicam had some analgesic effect on lame birds, lending further support to concerns that lameness compromises broiler welfare. Further investigation of opioid treatments and lameness types is needed to disentangle effects on mobility and on pain.

Keywords

analgesiaanimal welfarebroiler chickenlamenessmobilitypain
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , February 2016 , pp. 55 - 67
Copyright
© 2016 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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