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Vitamins and Minerals Important to Poultry

Published: November 6, 2008
Source : Univ. of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
Achieving maximum health and performance of poultry requires nutritionally balanced diets. One of the common issues with regard to back yard flocks relates to poor or inadequate feeding programs that can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies for the birds. Vitamins and minerals are very important components of a chickens diet and unless a formulated ration is feed, it is likely that deficiencies will occur.

Poultry require all known vitamins except C. Some vitamins are soluble in fats, while others are soluble in water. Some of the symptoms of a vitamin deficiency are as follows:


FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS

Vitamin A  Decreased egg production, weakness and lack of growth.
Vitamin D Thin shelled eggs, reduced egg production, retarded growth, rickets.
Vitamin E  Enlarged hocks, encephalomalacia (crazy chick disease).
Vitamin K  Prolonged blood clotting, intramuscular bleeding.


WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS

Thiamine (B1)  Loss of appetite and death.
Riboflavin (B2)  Curly-toe paralysis, poor growth and poor egg production.
Pantothenic Acid  Dermatitis and lesions on mouth and feet.
Niacin  Bowed legs, inflamation of tongue and mouth cavity.
Choline Poor growth, fatty liver, decreased egg production.
Vitamin B12 Anemia, poor growth, embryonic mortality.
Folic Acid Poor growth, anemia, poor feathering and egg production.
Biotin Dermatitis on feet and around eyes and beak.


Minerals are also important to the health and well being of poultry. The following are some
of the important minerals and symptoms of mineral deficiencies:


MINERALS

Calcium Poor egg shell quality and poor hatchability, rickets.
Phosphorus Rickets, poor egg shell quality and hatchability.
Magnesium Sudden death.
Manganese Perosis, poor hatchability.
Iron Anemia.
Copper Anemia.
Iodine Goiter.
Zinc Poor feathering, short bones.
Cobalt Slow growth, mortality, reduced hatchability.


As indicated above, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can produce numerous health problems
for chickens including in some cases death. Thus, to prevent nutritional deficiencies, or when
deficiency symptoms are noted, feeding a balanced poultry ration with the required vitamins and
minerals should be practiced.


By Dan L. Cunningham, Extension Coordinator
Poultry Tips - College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service

Source
Univ. of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
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Alfredo J. Escribano
Orffa Excentials
16 de abril de 2015
Dear Ahmad, You can check he values that the different feeding systems recommend, such as the NRC (the American one). Here you have: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1044381.pdf http://www.lamolina.edu.pe/zootecnia/biblioteca2012/NRC%20Poultry%201994[1].pdf http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/an12poultryfeeding.pdf Regards, Alfredo.
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Muzzamal ijaz
Fast Feed Mills
21 de abril de 2009
Dwar, this paper revised our basic knowledge; please you must also include the interactions of vitamins, as well as with minerals too.
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Oyedele Oyewumi
Prinzvet Livestock Consult
17 de diciembre de 2008
This is an excellent presentation. However, for effective utilisation of the vitamin, choline chloride should be packed seperately from vitamin, especially in vitamin-mineral premix.
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Okuta Ngura
3 de diciembre de 2017
Well emphasized.Vitamins and minerals go hand in hand in ensuring the health of our animals.
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Ahmad Maryuki
20 de octubre de 2012

How much vitamin and mineral must give for chicken? Thanks

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Adrikws C Leslie
24 de agosto de 2012
Vitamins and minerals make people's bodies work properly. Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs.
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Dr. SMFB Abdus Sabur
FTDC Trade & Consultation
10 de mayo de 2009
It's really good stuff on vitamins and minerals in consolidated form. Thanks a lot to the author. And requesting him to attach me with a GMP company in Asia, preferably Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan or S. Korea who can manufacture me some customized vitamin and vitamin combination products in liquid form for marketing and distribution in Bangladesh market.
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Alabi Kehinde
Vetstock nig ltd.
9 de mayo de 2009
The role of vitamins cannot be over emphasis in poultry feed. Keeny
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Raghuvir Trifale
Exotic Biosolutions
8 de mayo de 2009
Good reference for the new enterer. Requirement for Commercial layer, Broiler, breeders at different stage vary. It will be nice if details are provided.
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Muhammad Mubashir Aslam
8 de mayo de 2009
This is the basic information regarding the vitamins and minerals. We would be grateful for the information about the actual dose of vitamins and minerals for birds to recover these deficiencies.
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