DIETARY BIOTIN AND TURKEY BREEDER PERFORMANCE

The effect of biotin supplementation on turkey breeder hen performance was examined in two experiments. A corn-soybean meal-based breeder diet was supplemented with biotin to provide a low (.178 mg/kg) and high (.75 mg/kg) level of dietary biotin. The diets were fed to female-line hens (Nicholas strain) starting at time of light stimulation (31 and 30 wk of age for Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) for 27 wk. Each diet was fed to four replicate pens of 25 hens each. In Experiment 1, egg production and hatchability of fertile eggs from hens fed the high level of biotin was significantly greater (P <.05) during 50 to 54 wk of age. Egg production and hatchability were improved by 22 and 10%, respectively, from 50 to 54 wk of age. In Experiment 2, reproductive performance was unaffected by biotin level during 33 to 57 wk of age. The higher level of dietary biotin seemed beneficial in supporting later reproductive performance in one of two experiments.