WITHDRAWN: Mortality rate of ostrich chicks associated with impaction: a case report.

Post-mortem examination of 138 ostrich hatchlings aged 1 week to 6 months showed impaction of the proventriculus, gizzard, and small intestines caused by ingestion of soil, stones, sand and sticks. Chicks aged 7 to 12 weeks had a higher incidence of impaction. Loss of appetite, weight loss, isolation and inability to stand were among the common clinical symptoms. Sand, soil, stones, sticks, and wires were discovered during the post mortem examination. Impaction accounted for 20% of mortality rate. Stomach impaction is one of the leading causes of death in ostrich chicks for the first few months post-hatch under a commercial ostrich production.