Animals in British Farming»Chickens, Ducks and Turkeys
Do fast growing chickens have heart problems?
Yes
Information sourced from Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan.
Last reviewed
Fast growing chickens are highly susceptible to heart failure. These breeds represent 94% of chicken production in the United Kingdom.
Heart failure can present itself in many ways. A lack of oxygen in the arteries (known as hypoxemia) is common among farmed chickens.
The scale of chicken farms makes it hard to identify birds in need of medical attention. Birds with heart failure will likely die slowly from fluid build up inside of them.
Injured chicken in a shed
