Ascites in meat-type ducklings

Hearts selected at random from the line at a duck processing factory gave a mean right ventricle to total ventricle (RV/TV) ratio of 0.188 (18.8% right ventricle). Ducks condemned because of ascites at the same factory fell into three groups: ducks with ascites secondary to right ventricular failure (RVF) with a RV/TV ratio of 0.336 (mean of 12 ducks), ducks with ascites secondary to hepatic amyloidosis with a RV/TV ratio of 0.202 (mean of 8) and ducks condemned as ascitic but in fact suffering from peritonitis with a RV/TV ratio of 0.202 (mean of 4). The results indicate that the most common cause of ascites in meat-type ducks at slaughter is RVF as it is in broiler chickens. The RV/TV ratio in normal ducks was less than 0.230; in ducks with ascites from RVF it was greater than 0.283.