The Effect of of Biotin Deficiency in the Pre-Ruminant and Immediately Post-Ruminant Angora and Cashmere Kids

Responses of biotin in the pre-ruminant and immediately post-ruminant kids were studied in an experiment using 6Angora and 8 Scottish Cashmere male castrated kids. They were allocated into two equal groups and given a good quality biotin supplemented milk replacer up to 42 days of ages and then they allocated to continue to receive the biotin adequate diet or a diet without supplemented biotin and containing the biotin-binding protein avidin in dried egg white up to 84 days of ages. Thereafter all kids were continued to receive a progressively reducing quantities of the milk diet and in addition a commercial creep feed and chopped hay ad libitum. After weaning at 18 weeks of age, they received chopped hay (0.75) and concentrate (0.25) ad libitum to the end of the study at 24 weeks. Responses in live weight gain, dry matter intake, fibre characteristics, hair loss by combing, Plasma biotin and level of glucose, urea and PCV were measured through the experimental periods. The result indicated that at the end of the pre-ruminant period, biotin deficiency had a significant effect on reducing live weight gain (p< 0.05), feed intake (p< 0.01) and increasing combed hair loss (p< 0.001). Total hair loss of mohair due to biotin deficiency was significantly (p< 0.01) higher than cashmere. Following the introduction to solid feed there were no differences in animal performance due to diet. Total clean fibre yield by Angora goat in all periods was significantly (p< 0.001) higher that for the Cashmere goats. While biotin supplemented milk replacer diet increased plasma biotin concentration this did not result in any significant increase in glucose, urea and PCV in all periods of study. However, during solid feeding Cashmere kids had a significantly higher live weight gain (p< 0.05) and dry matter intake (p< 0.01) than Angora kids. Difference between two genotypes was noted during soild feeding in superior values of feed intake(0.01), live weight gain (p< 0.01), glucose concentration (p< 0.001) and PCV% (p< 0.001) in Chashmer than Angora goats.