The sub-goals of the project are to: 

• describe the pathology, age pattern and variability of gizzard inflammation (GI)
• compare GI in broiler chickens and slaughter turkeys
• describe the relationship between potentially causative factors and GI, and generate hypotheses on the etiology of GI
• describe the relationship between necrotic enteritis and GI
• describe the relationship between foot health (as an indicator of bird welfare) and GI
• describe the relationship between gizzard function and GI
• describe the relationship between GI and productivity
• investigate if gizzards from birds that die or are killed during the rearing period is a useful indicator of GI occurrence in slaughter turkeys
• establish a quantitative assay for gizzerosine in feeds
• To achieve these goals is a field survey and two experimental studies were conducted

Research partners: 

• Nofima Mat
• Universitetet for miljø og biovitenskap (fram til 2007)
• Biosonda, Chile
• Norsk fjørfenæring