Extracted From: A Pocket Guide to Poultry Health and Disease By Paul McMullin © 2004 Click Here to Order Your Copy

Introduction

Biotin deficiency has occured in turkeys and chickens in many countries but is now rare in birds consuming properly formulated feeds. Reduced feed intake and blood sugar can precipitate fatty liver and kidney syndrome.

Signs

• Poor growth.
• Leg weakness.
• Scabs around eyes and beak.
• Thickened skin under foot pad, in embryos, webbing between toes.
• Chondrodystrophy.
• Sudden deaths in fatty liver and kidney syndrome.

Post-mortem lesions

• See signs.
• Pale livers and kidneys in fatty liver and kidney syndrome.

Diagnosis

Signs, lesions, response to treatment/prevention. Differentiate from pantothenic acid deficiency (skin lesions).

Treatment

Addition of biotin in feed or water.

Prevention

Supplementation of diets with biotin - naturally present in many raw materials, has very low bioavailability.