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ASCITES (Water Belly)

Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of chickens, primarily caused by rapid growth rates of broiler chickens straining their oxygen demand. It leads to abdominal distension and death. Factors that can cause ascites include rapid growth, poor ventilation, cold temperatures, high energy diets, and stress. Symptoms include sudden death after 28 days, depression, pale appearance, and abdominal distension. While treatment is generally not effective, prevention methods include feed restriction, adequate ventilation, and adding vitamins E and selenium to feed.

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Santosh Bhandari
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416 views5 pages

ASCITES (Water Belly)

Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of chickens, primarily caused by rapid growth rates of broiler chickens straining their oxygen demand. It leads to abdominal distension and death. Factors that can cause ascites include rapid growth, poor ventilation, cold temperatures, high energy diets, and stress. Symptoms include sudden death after 28 days, depression, pale appearance, and abdominal distension. While treatment is generally not effective, prevention methods include feed restriction, adequate ventilation, and adding vitamins E and selenium to feed.

Uploaded by

Santosh Bhandari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ASCITES (water belly)

Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of chickens.


It is the syndrome and primary cause of death for rapidly growing
broiler strains, resulting in economic loss.

It is the condition that leads to accumulation of ascitic fluid in the body


cavities resulting in carcass condemnation or death. It is not a infection,
but it caused by a series of complex events that affect the supply of
oxygen for the tissues. It is mainly confined in broilers. Modern broilers
chickens are more susceptible to ascites because of its rapid growth
rate, high feed efficiency and a large breast muscle mass, which require
a high demand of oxygen as metabolic rate of growing birds is very
high.

Causes:
a. Rapid growth rate
b. Poor ventilation
c. Cold
d. High energy diets
e. Faulty brooding
f. Ammonia formation and dust
g. Sodium toxicity
h. Vitamin E/selenium deficiency
i. Stress
Symptoms:
a. Sudden death
b. Mortality is greatest after 28 days
c. Affected birds are smaller than normal and depressed with
ruffled feathers.
d. Pale head and shrunken comb
e. Reluctant move
f. Panting
g. Abdominal distension

Pathogenesis:
As modern boiler gain rapid growth and high feed efficiency and
large breast muscles mass, which require a high demand of oxygen,
which create imbalance between oxygen supply and the oxygen
required to sustain rapid growth rates and high food efficiencies and
finally cause ascites in broiler chickens.
High oxygen demand , poor lungs function, low environment oxygen

Increased cardiac output.


(increased blood flow through lungs)

Stress on right ventricle

Right ventricle dilation

Transudation

Ascites.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis can be easily made from the typical post mortem
finding of abnormally distended abdomen containing fluids.

PM findings:
a. Abdomen is markedly distended with fluid.
b. On opening the abdominal cavity shows the presence of
a large amount of clear yellow fluids which may contain
fibrins.

Organs:
Heart: enlarged greatly

Liver: swollen, congested, firm and shrunken.

Intestine: congested

Note: some birds may die before ascites develops that is not all birds
that die from ascites show accumulation of fluid in the abdominal
cavity.

Treatment:
a. There is no effective treatment.
b. Frusemide, a drug that increase the flow of urine.
c. Vitamin E, vitamin C, and organic selenium are effective in
reducing ascites.

Control:
a. Can be prevented through feed restriction, use of low energy
feed.
b. Adequate ventilation
c. Prevention from chilling in winter.
d. Avoid dust and ammonia gas.
e. By increasing vitamin E, and organic selenium in diet.

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