Cornish Cross Dying

[wolfwalker]

Sadly, after logging into the NPIP site and following a link, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...pai-2022/2022-hpai-commercial-backyard-flocks

I have to ask, are you near any of these locations?

 

[wolfwalker]

Not underweight. The last one (yesterday) actually looked ready to butcher in both development and weight. I haven’t looked at the organs of any of them yet. Anything in particular you would suggest looking for?

Lesions on the organs.

 

[Sportsman94]

Ok, I finally found an old thread that describes what is happening with my chickens. According to that thread it is ascites. We ended up losing another one today and have two more that look like they are on the way out. I’m trying to search to see if it’s safe to eat them with this now

 

[wolfwalker]

from the Merck vet book online https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...itions-of-poultry/ascites-syndrome-in-poultry

you've confirmed this by opening up the body cavity and finding it full of fluid? correct.

If it is Ascites, then harvest all the chickens now and discard any with fluid filled abdomens. while some would eat the meat, I would not personally as the fluid most of the time is filled with toxic breakdowns from the liver and heart.

But then again I won't eat an animals liver either as it is the primary means of the animal getting rid of toxins and can build up in the organ. But that is me

 

[Sportsman94]

I appreciate all yalls replies in trying to help me diagnose. Yes, just finished butchering what was left and confirmed via yellow fluid in the bellies. I’ve read some of the causes online, but don’t know what’s applicable since it never happened to me before. This was a new to me hatchery. Is it likely that it’s bad genetics in the birds that caused this as I saw information that said a lot of times the birds can be genetically disposed to this.

 

[wolfwalker]

You said in your first post you brooded them differently by doing so outside in the chicken tractor. That might be the cause right there as repeated chills is a known cause in commercial flocks.

My best advice going forward, go back to what you used to do in raising meatbirds