Sudden Death Syndroem in Broiler Chickens

摘要

Sudden death syndrome is a specific cause of death in young, meat-type chickens. Although the incidence is low, it is an economically important condition. SDS occurs in healthy, fast-growing broiler chickens that die in a short, terminal, wing-beating convulsion during which many birds flip-over onto their back. Most of the mortality from sudden death syndrome is in the faster-growing male birds. Sudden death syndrome occurs in all countries where high density, high caloric rations are fed free choice to fast-growing strains of broiler chickens in either small or large, well managed flocks. This is a metabolic disease directly related to feed intake, particularly a diet high in easily digested carbohydrate. The convulsive death in a healthy broiler would indicate that SDS is caused by cardiac fibrillation.