The objective of the proposed work is to develop algorithms for analyzing cardiovascular parameters in poultry. Analysis of cardiovascular parameters will help clarify the underlying mechanisms which cause Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and other economically important diseases in broilers. SDS, or flipover as it is called in chickens, is increasing in prevalence as a cause of death in broiler populations due, at least in part, to the control of serious infectious diseases and to increases in growth rates. It is hypothesized that low HRV may be an indicator of susceptibility to SDS. lf so, then it may be possible to predict which chicks or embryos are at high risk for SDS. These animals could then either be culled from the flock before using resources or growing to the point where carcass disposal would be a major problem or be raised under slightly different conditions which would be more likely to result in a viable product. The specific objective of the proposed research is to test the hypothesis that male broilers with low heart rate variability (HRV) have a higher incidence of SDS.
