Studies on the Biotin Requirement of Broilers Fed Sunflower Seed Meal Based Diets
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Harwood Academic Publishers GmbH
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A total of 560 day-old commercial broiler chicks were used in two experiments conducted to
'investigate the biotin requirement of broilers fed sunflower seed meal (SSM) based diets. Two basal
biotin-deficient diets based on dehulled (Experiment 1) and non-dehulled (Experiment 2) SSM were
each supplemented with graded levels of biotin so that the rations had 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240 and
280 mcg/kg feed. Therefore a total of 14 treatments were tested. Each treatment was given to
duplicate floor pens with 20 chicks eaoh for a period of 28 days.
Estimation of the live weights, live weight gain, feed intake, blood glucose and free fatty acid
concentrations, lipid contents and weights of liver and leidney, and liver pyruvate carboxylase activity
and the records of incidence of dermal lesions, fatty liver and kidney syndrome (FLKS) mortality and
leg deformities indicated that in the case of dehulled SSM, dietary biotin of of 160 mcg/kg feed waS'"
marginal while at least 200 mcglkg appeared to be needed for optimum performance of the birds.
When non-dehulled SSM was incorporated in the diet, 200 mcg biotin1k:g feed was found to be the
lowest dietary level needed. However, as it seems that better "results could be obtained with higher
levels, 240 mcg biotin1k:g with non-dehulled SSM is being recommended.
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Q Science (General)