Involvement of biotin in the fatty liver and kidney syndrome of broilers

Synopsis

Experiments were conducted with caged broilers using diets containing 79% wheat and 20% meat meal. In the first experiment an outbreak of fatty liver and kidney syndrome (FLKS) occurred. Mortality was prevented, and subsequent growth rate was improved, by a single oral dose of a mixture of water‐soluble vitamins. A similar but less concentrated mixture successfully controlled a field outbreak of FLKS and lowered overall mortality.

In further experiments, it was shown that a deficiency of biotin was the main contributing factor in causing FLKS. With these wheat‐meat meal diets biotin concentrations of up to 120 μg/kg diet were associated with FLKS mortality but when the biotin concentration was raised to 145 μg/kg diet growth was maximised and mortality due to FLKS eliminated. There was also evidence that the concentration of biotin levels in breeder diets may affect the incidence of FLKS in their progeny.