There was a great need to update the
previous post on chicken vitamins because most readers on the social platform
want to know how to source these vitamins through the natural form possible.
This brings about this update.
Derived from plant or animal sources,
vitamins are needed in small quantities for normal growth and activity. Chickens
need every known vitamin in some amount, and unlike their needs for energy and
protein, their vitamin requirements remain fairly steady year-round.

However, a flock’s vitamin requirement
are interrelated with the must be balanced against other nutritional components
such as protein, minerals, and energy whose sources also contain vitamins.
The table below has stated in a concise
terms the list of the best vitamins for chicken, their roles, deficiency and
possible source.
You can have the table handy while
diagnosing your birds matching it with health issue signal and the possible
steps to take so as to prevent damage or death.
FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS |
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VITAMINS |
ROLE |
DEFICIENCY SIGN |
SOURCE |
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A |
Vision, growth, strong bones, |
Weakness, slow growth or emaciation, |
Green Forage |
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D |
Enable calcium absorption |
Rickets, thin and soft shell eggs with |
Sunshine, cod liver oil |
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E |
Antioxidant, immunity, reproduction |
Encephalomalacia, Reduced fertility in |
Cod liver oil, corn oil, soybean oil, |
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K |
Blood Clotting |
Easy bruising and bleeding |
Alfalfa, leafy dark greens |
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Vitamin C helps prevent disease both |
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|
Vitamin B complex |
|
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Vitamin |
Role |
Deficiency |
Source |
|||
B1 Thiamin |
Healthy nerve cells |
Failure to eat, Inflamed nerves, death |
Legumes, sesame seeds, sunflower |
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B2 Riboflavin |
Antioxidant; growth; red blood cell |
Emaciation while eating well, |
Soybeans, sesame seeds, wheat germs, |
|||
B3Niacin |
Metabolize carbohydrates, fats and |
Swollen hocks bowed legs |
Fish meal, sunflower seeds |
|||
B5 Pantothenic acid |
Red blood cell production, healthy |
Sores on feet and face, rough broken |
Corn, legumes, sunflower seed, sweet |
|||
B6 Pyridoxine |
Healthy nerve cell, brain function, |
Muscle weakness, death |
Legumes, milk, sunflower seed, wheat |
|||
B7 Biotin Vitamin H |
Metabolize carbohydrates, fats, amino |
Sores on feet and face, clipped tendon |
Brewer’s yeast, legume, oats, wheat |
|||
B9 Folic Acid |
Brain function; DNA and RNA |
Slow growth, poor feathering, anemia |
Leafy dark greens, legumes, milk, root |
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B12 Cobalamin |
Healthy nerve cells; DNS=A and RNA production, |
Slow growth, small eggs with low |
Milk, fish meal, livestock manure |
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Vitamin
Supplements
Trying to furnish your chickens each of
the vitamins individually are impractical and so is attempting to identify signs
of a deficiency in any specific vitamin. If you suspect your chickens are
suffering from a vitamin deficiency, the best approach is to provide a complete
supplement, of which many different brands are available specifically designed
for poultry.
Giving your chickens a vitamin supplement
will boost their immunity during times of stress, such as when their bodies are
battling a disease, when the weather is unpleasant, during a move, before and
after a poultry show, and during the breeding season.
To counteract any potential deficiencies
in the breeder flock diet, chicks get off to a better start when given a
supplement during their first 3 weeks of life. Keep in mind, though, that some
vitamins interact synergistically with each other. And an excess of some
vitamins can interact detrimentally with themselves be toxic.
Instead of making chickens healthier,
the unnecessary use of packaged vitamin supplements can have the opposite of
the desired effect. Never use a supplement, including electrolytes, for more
than 10 days. If you are formulating your own rations, the best way to guard
against vitamin deficiencies is to include a premix (for example, Fertrell
Nutri-Balancer).

Premixes are available in both standard
and organic formulations. Since too much can be as detrimental as too little,
carefully follow the directions on the label to avoid overdosing on your chickens.