Poultry Ascites: Prevention And Treatment

Ascites (water belly) is a disease that enhances accumulation of fluids in a bird's abdominal cavity. The fluid may contain yellow protein clots to produce yellowish tinge. This condition is extremely common in high altitude and more particularly during winter (cooler) season of the year. Ascites is associated with inadequate supply of oxygen, poor ventilation and respiratory diseases. The disease mostly attack meat producing birds like Turkey, Broiler and Duck. The cause of this disease is common attributed to pulmonary hypertension resulting in the failure of the right ventricle.

Causes
Apart from the fact that anything that limits oxygen uptake can cause the heart to work harder, diseases of the lungs and liver caused by aflatoxin from plants/feed contents. Poor ventilation may be involved and some of the causes of Oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) are:

1) Presence of ammonia in the poultry house reduces the oxygen level.
2) Chilling is a common cause in small flocks increased blood flow through the lungs.
3) Presence of high carbon dioxide level due to overcrowding that causes poor ventilation.
4) Excess levels of sodium in the water or salt (over 400ppm) in feed leads to increased blood pressure in the lungs.
5) High altitudes have long been known to cause heart failure and ascites.
6) The dust particle in the air of poultry leads difficulty for birds to breath hence deficiency of oxygen in the blood.

Signs / Symptoms
Certain symptoms could be noticed in living or dead birds. Some of the noticeable signs in live birds are:

1.) Sudden deaths in highly developed birds.
2.) Poor development.
3.) Progressive weakness and abdominal distension.
4.) Recumbency.
5.) Possibly cyanosis.

Some of the main postmortem lesions are:
1.) Severe muscle congestion.
2.) Congested lungs and intestines.
3.) Enlarged Liver.
4.) Small Spleen.
5.) Dilation of the ventricle.

Prevention
1.) Restricting feed or use feed with moderate energy and protein content.
2.) Checking water sodium level, if high, source for water with better quality at least for the first 3 or 4 weeks.
3.) Keep air quality fresh by moving air regularly and efficiently.
4.) In the colder months, it is better to add heat than to reduce the airflow.
5.) Prevent respiratory disease conditions.
6.) Select breeds which are not genetically susceptible to this condition.
7.) Litter treatment is important to control ammonia level.
8.) Careful attention to brooding temperature is necessary.
9.) Finally, the best Management Practice is only answer to reduce problem of Ascites.

Treatment
After improving the management favors like ventilation,  airflow and air quality, Vitamin C at 500ppm dose (500mg in 1 litre of water) has been reported to be effective in some part of the world like Canada and South America. It is effective in most part of Africa as well, especially west Africa. Less dosage around 100 - 150ppm can be used when any of the signs is being noticed or as a preventive measure against ascites.

You may also like to read more about:
* Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS)
* Commercial Cockerel Farming
* The Use Of Bitter Leaf As Anticoccidiosis
* The General Way Of Brooding Chicks

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Cited Works
1.) Causes of ascites in poultry - https://articles.extension.org, retrieved on May 22nd 2019.
2.) Ascites - https://thepoultrysite.com, retrieved on June 30th 2019.
3.) Ascites in broiler chickens - https://en.engormix.com, retrieved on September 11th 2019.
4.) SDS, Organic Poultry Farming and Chicken Brooding - https://artibfarm.blogspot.com