The development of a biotin deficiency in domestic fowl given wheat-based diets.
1. Studies were done of the possible development of a biotin deficiency in domestic fowl of various ages as a result of feeding with diets composed mainly of wheat, and meat-and-bone meal. The degree of deficiency was estimated from physical symptoms, liver and kidney composition and hepatic enzyme activities. 2. Only a mild biotin deficiency developed in 3-week-old chickens and no adverse metabolic effect were found for chickens reared to 7 or 15 weeks of age or maintained for 9 months in lay on these diets, which were suspected of producing fatty liver and kidney disease in young chickens. At 3 weeks of age the deficiency was more severe the heavier the strain of chicken and the greater the rate of body-weight gain. 3. The present results question the supposition that biotin deficiency is the sole factor responsible for the development of fatty liver and kidney syndrome in young chickens.
D000367:Age Factors; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000009:adverse effects; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001710:Biotin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001835:Body Weight; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009929:Organ Size; D010058:Oviposition; D013045:Species Specificity; D014908:Triticum; D014804:Vitamin B Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism
D001710:Biotin