How do you diagnose and manage Fatty Liver and Kidney Syndrome (FLKS) in brown layer chicks and pullets using dietary Biotin supplementation?

Fatty Liver and Kidney Syndrome (FLKS) is a metabolic disease of young growing chicks and pullets, characterized by sudden death, often precipitated by mild stress like vaccination or transfer. Necropsy reveals pale, swollen kidneys and an enlarged, yellow liver with high fat accumulation. FLKS is caused by a nutritional deficiency of Biotin (Vitamin B7), which is a crucial co-enzyme for carboxylase enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis. When biotin is deficient, the chick cannot synthesize glucose from non-carbohydrate sources during stress, leading to lethal hypoglycemia. To manage and prevent FLKS, the feed formulation must be supplemented with high-purity synthetic Biotin at 0.15 to 0.20 mg/kg, especially when the feed contains wheat or barley, which have low biotin bioavailability compared to corn. Nutritional pathology is detailed in the Poultry Encyclopedia, concentrated biotin powders and stress-packs are sold on Poultry Plaza, daily day-old chick rates are checked on Poultry Rates, and premium commercial flocks are traded on Murghi Mandi.