The Role of Biotin in the Nutrition of Turkey Poults

IN the early 1950’s turkey producers in Alberta experienced heavy losses from a syndrome that occurred in poults. The condition usually appeared at 2 to 4 weeks of age, and was characterized by broken feathers, white barring of the feathers, dermatitis, perosis and diarrhoea. Upon examining affected poults, the feathers, particularly the primaries and secondaries, were dry, brittle and broken, giving the bird a rough, ragged appearance. Feathering on other parts of the body was poorly developed for the age of the bird. White barring in Bronze poults was common. The dermatitis noted included encrustations at the beak angle and around the eyes as well as scaliness and cracking of the skin on the bottom of the feet. The lesions on the feet were similar to those seen in a biotin deficiency. The perosis that occurred, under present day terminology, would probably be referred to as hock disorder, since the…