What is the most common breed of chicken used for commercial meat production?
Broiler
Ascites is characterised by hypertrophy and dilatation of the heart, changes in liver function, pulmonary insufficiency, hypoxaemia and accumulation of large amounts of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Ascites develops gradually and the birds suffer for an extended period before they die.  In the UK, up to 19 million broilers die in their sheds from heart failure each year.[22]