Unilateral tibio-tarsal rotation in a 14-month old ostrich hen destined for slaughter.

The authors would like to report an unusual incidence of severe tibio-tarsal rotation in a 14-month old ostrich hen designed for slaughter and housed on an ostrich farm in Poland (51o43´N, 15o33´E, October 2007). The ambient indoor and exterior temperature from 0600-1800 was recorded at 2-hr intervals as 20.40 (mean) ± 0.12 (SEM) and 14.98 ± 1.35oC, respectively. The exterior relative humidity recorded likewise was 50.00 ± 0.67%. The pathology expressed itself in the left limb with an outward angle of rotation in the foot of 92o (Figures 1-3). The perpendicular height of the hen, and length of the right femur, tibia, metatarsals, toe and claw lengths were 120 vs . 140, 59 vs . 56, 36 vs . 42, 10 vs . 5.5, 6 vs . 11 and 3 vs . 4.5 cm, respectively by comparison with an age-matched normal hen.