Seven duplicate floor pens with 20 day-old commercial broiler chicks each
were fed a practical type broiler diet formulated with guineacorn/palm kernel
meal and supplemented vvith graded levels of biotin WOO, 0'04, 0·08, 0'12,
0·16, 0·20 and 0·24 mg kg-1 feed) for a period of 6 weeks. Significantly
poorer feed utilisation and carcass characteristics, higher blood lipid, lower
blood glucose, lower pyruvate carboxylase activity in the liver, higher liver
and kidney weights (% live weight), more lipid deposition in these organs
coupled with more frequent incidences of foot dermatitis, higher mortality
due to fatty liver and kidney syndrome (FLKS) and abnormal development
of leg bone in broilers maintained on the diet without biotin supplementation
indicated that they suffered vitamin deficiency. However, the responses of
experimental birds indicated that a dietary supplement of 0·20 mg biotin
kg - 1 feed was adequate for the promotion of good performance and
prevention of dermal lesions, FLKS mortality and leg deformities .
