Many Nebraska farm families typically raise one or two flocks of meat chickens a year for home consumption. This NebFact explains the number one cause of broiler death in home flocks and how to prevent it. In the past few years, a new disease problem has occurred in home broiler flocks. The disease is called ascites syndrome.
Owners typically observe an increase in death loss from three weeks to market.
Anywhere from 10 percent to 60 percent of a flock may become affected. Ascites is the medical term used to describe the large amount of fluid that accumulates in the abdominal cavities of the birds that die with this disease. Other changes that are seen are purple discoloration of skin, enlarged livers, dark red lungs, and greatly dilated, flabby hearts. Essen-tially, the cause of death in the birds is due to heart failure and lack of oxygen to the tissues. Genetically, the modern broiler is very prone to develop the illness.