How to handle Ascites disorder in most broilers

White broiler chicken in a Poultry Farm.[FILE/Standard]

The term Ascites refers to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity because of heart failure. It is also commonly referred to as a water belly.

Although most people refer to it as a disease, it is a metabolic disorder that is commonly seen in fast-growing birds during the cooler months of the year. Broilers by their nature are fast-growing birds. They can double their day-old weight by the fourth day, and by the seventh, they will weigh four times their placement weight.