Responses of broilers fed guineacorn/palm kernel meal based ration to supplemental biotin

Abstract

AbstractSeven 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 with graded levels of biotin (0.00, 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.