Since last two years broiler industry in Pakistan is facing a devastating disease named "Hydropericardium Sncirome". The disease causes 30 to 7 mortality. Many possible causes of this disease like Ascites, Oedema, Round heart disease, Fat toxicity, Excess of Sodium and also in Bacterial and Viral infections have been reported, in which nutritional cause is one of these. The present work has been conducted to study the effect of different indigenous vegetable protein supplements as the causitive or predisposing factor for "Hydropericardium" in broiler chicks.
Two experiments were conducted and five experimental rations were prepared containing different indigenous vegetable protein supplements (Corn gluten meal, Rice polishing, Rape seed meal, Cotton seed meal and Sunflower meal) as a major source of protein and were fed to both the experimental chicks throughout the experimental period.
In both the experiments chicks were
divided into five groups. In the first experiment, at 18th day each group was further divided into three subgroups i.e. control, treatment-I and treatment-II (inocculated with 105 and 107 dilutions of freez dried Hydropericardiuin inocculum respectively). Similarly in the second experiment, at 18th day each group was further divided into two subgroups i.e. control and treatment ( some chicks were inocculated with 102dilution of the fresh Hydropericardium inocculum and rest of them were kept as incontact). During the conduct of the experiment the weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, mortality, postmortem changes, histopathological changes and immunity of the experimental chicks were studied.

In the first experiment non-significant differencewith respect of weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency of the chicks amongst control and treatment-I (inocculated. with 10-5 dilution of freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum) and treatment-II (inocculated with 10-7 dilution of freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum) subgroups were recorded. There was no mortality due to itllydropericardiumit in any of the five experimental groups of chicks. This indicated that 10-5and 10-7 dilutions of freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum were ineffective in causing any change in weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency. As such these findings could not help in establishing any of the five egetab1e protein supplements (Corn gluten meal, Rape

seed meal, Rice polishing, Cotton seed meal and
Sunflower meal) as a predisposing or causitive factor for"Hydropericardium"in the chicks.
Similarly in the second experiment, non-significant difference with respect of weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency of the chicks between control and treatment ( some chicks were inocculated with i02 dilution of the fresh Hydropericardium inocculum and rest of them were kept as incontact) subgroups of the five experimental groups were recorded. This indicated that 1o2 dilution of fresh Hydropericardium inocculum was ineffective in causing any change in weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency of the chicks. These results also could not establish the nutrition as a predisposing or causitive factor for "Hydropericardium" in the chicks. Only three mortalities of the chicks in different experimental groups after the inocculation of io_2 dilution of fresh Hydropericardium'inocculum were recorded. Postmortem examination of the dead birds showed watery fluid in pericardial sac, swollen liver and kidneys and enlarged heart. Ilistopathological study of the liver and heart collected from the dead birds revealed intranuclear inclusion bodies in the liver and degenerative changes in the heart. Although the postmortem changes were almost similar to the "Hydropericardium" but only three mortalities could
not be attributed to nutrition as a predisposing or causitive factor for "Hydropericardium" in the chicks. Similarly the results of indirect haemagglutination test showed haemagglutination of erythrocytes at 1:128 serum dilution and even at very weak dilution i.e. 1:1024 serum dilution, which indicated that the chicks were alreadr immuned and the immunity of the chicks increased after the inocculation of the fresh Hyd.ropericardium inocculum.
In the light of the findings of the first experiment, which were non-significant with regard to weight gain, feed. consumption and feed efficiency of the chicks amongst control, treatment-I (inocculated with 1O dilutionof freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum) and treatment-Il (inocculated with 10' dilution of freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum) subgroups of each of the five experimental groups fed on five different experimental rations, it might be concluded that the freez dried Hydropericardium inocculum had lost its virulency during freezing process or during its long i.e. six months, of storage or was not the causitive agent in producing the "Hydropericardium" in the broiler chicks. Similarly in the second experiment, non-significant results of weight gain, feed
consumption and feed efficiency of the chicks between control and treatment (some chicks were inocculated. with io_2 dilution of fresh Hydropericardiun inocculum and rest of them were kept as incontact) subgroups and the results of indirect haemagglutination test, indicated that the chicks were already iinmuned. The findings of both the experiments could not help to establish the nutrition as a predisposing or causitive factor for "HydropericRrdium" in the chicks.