A broiler can look healthy, eat normally, and still be found dead without much warning. This can be alarming for farmers, especially when several apparently healthy birds die suddenly. One possible cause is Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), also called flip-over disease. It mainly affects rapidly growing broiler chickens, particularly during the early growth period. The exact cause is not completely understood, but metabolic stress, rapid growth, nutrition, genetics, and environmental stress may contribute. WHAT IS SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME? SDS is a non-infectious condition associated with abnormal heart rhythm and cardiovascular stress in rapidly growing broilers. Affected birds often show little or no warning before death. Deaths commonly occur between about 2 and 4 weeks of age, although SDS can occur earlier or later during the growing period. COMMON SIGNS TO WATCH FOR Unlike many poultry diseases, SDS may produce few obvious symptoms beforehand. Farmers may notice: - Apparentl...