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Broiler Pulmonary Hypertension Syndrome is a disease associated with the high genetic potential of animals. Years of selection have allowed us to breed a line of chickens characterized by an exceptionally fast growth rate, excellent feed utilization and a high percentage of cuts desired by the customer (mainly breast, thigh and shank muscles). Unfortunately, such a fast growth rate has meant that the body's systems are not always able to keep up with the physiological processes. This is also the case with the so-called green muscle disease described by us earlier.
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Today we will focus on another disorder – chicken hypertension syndrome (PHS). This disease is often associated with the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity (ascites), but the aforementioned symptom is one of several symptoms of the disease.
Read more Green Muscle Disease – the effect of overly "exerted" genetics
Causes of PHS
PHS is a disease with a complex etiology, in addition to genetic predispositions, it is also caused by environmental factors, primarily those related to the microclimate of production rooms. On the physiological level, in the course of PHS, the body's circulatory and respiratory failure occurs. In other words, this system is unable to efficiently supply the body's intensively growing tissues with oxygen.
Chickens exposed to PHS exhibit symptoms such as difficulty breathing, bruising (especially around the wattles and comb), and the aforementioned ascites. Ultimately, this phenomenon results in increased mortality among chickens and a possible deterioration in carcass quality.
How to reduce the risk of disease?
Similarly to the previously described so-called green muscle disease, the primary cause of PHS is genetic factors. However, a number of environmental factors also contribute to the exacerbation of disease symptoms. These include, first and foremost, insufficient air exchange in facilities. In conditions of increased humidity and temperature, and above all, reduced oxygen concentration, the aforementioned inefficiency will become more severe. Animal stress related to, among other things, excessive bird density, difficult access to feed or improper management of the flock by farm staff also contributes to the occurrence of problems.
