Effects of the poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) load on the plumage condition in commercial laying hen farms

Plumage damage (PD) resulting from severe feather pecking (SFP) is a significant problem for animal welfare, performance, and economics in commercial laying hen farms. Genetics, nutrition, and housing conditions are central complexes that contribute to the multifactorial cause of SFP. Practical experience suggests that infestation by the poultry red mite (PRM), which is the most severe ectoparasite of laying hens in cage-free housing systems, may be a risk factor for the occurrence of PD, although evidence-based findings are lacking. The objective of this longitudinal observational field study was to investigate the effects of PRM infestation of commercial laying flocks on the occurrence of PD. Integument scoring (plumage damage and skin lesions) and the quantification of PRM infestation using mite traps were conducted during the laying period of 28 laying flocks, with an average flock size of 12,357 birds in barn (n = 21) or free-range (n = 7) systems. Across all flocks and survey times, the median PRM mass per trap was 0.7 mg (1.-3. quartile: 0.0–19.3 mg/trap), corresponding to a median count of 65.2 mites/trap (1.-3. quartile: 0.0–246.8 mites/trap). Binary logistic regression models revealed an association between PD and skin lesions with hen age, housing system, and hybrid type (p<0.001). The PRM load also affected the plumage condition, where PD increased with increasing PRM infestation (p<0.001). In addition, the PRM load tended to have an effect on skin injuries (p = 0.097). In conclusion, this longitudinal study identified the PRM load in laying hen flocks as a risk factor for PD.