Strengthening broiler legs through nutrition and management

Tremendous progress has been made by geneticists over the last 50 years in increasing the growth rate of broiler chickens. This has brought many benefits, including helping to make chicken the most affordable meat in many parts of the world, and contributing to global food security. However, the rapid growth has been linked to leg weakness as well as the culling and downgrading of lame birds. The mineral silica has long been associated with bone calcification, and deficiencies with skeletal wea