Evaluation of ground reaction forces produced by chickens walking on a force plate.

Objective: To evaluate the use of a force plate as a method for objective gait analysis in adult poultry, to characterize ground reaction forces (GRFs) produced in adult chickens during normal walking, and to assess the variability of GRFs.

Animals: 18 clinically normal 5-month-old Brown Leghorn hens.

Procedure: Vertical, craniocaudal, and mediolateral GRFs were measured as hens walked across a standard force plate embedded in the middle of a runway.