Is ascites due to growing conditions or bird genetics?

[tnchicken]

Anyone know much about this? I lost several meat birds

this year that never grew much and apparently had this. I discovered this when processing and found 4-5 others full of fluid. Anyone know if these are same to eat? Have not had this problem in past years so am curious as to why now.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

It's actually a little of both.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/6/ascites