Commercial Poultry Production and Hatchery Management

VITAMINS

• Vitamins are complex compounds, which play an important role in metabolism.
• Even though they are required in relatively small amounts, the presence or absence of vitamins makes all the difference between profit and loss in poultry farming.
• Good growth, prevention of leg weakness and thickness of eggshells, all need precise vitamin levels.
• Vitamins occur in many naturally available feed ingredients.
• They can also be added as supplements to meet the birds’ requirements.
• Vitamins are classified into two groups, namely, fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins.
• The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamin A, D, E and K. The water-soluble vitamins are the B complex group of vitamins, and vitamin C.
• Vitamins in the B complex group are thiamin (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine (B₆), biotin, choline, folic acid and cobalamine (B₁₂). Vitamins A, B₂ and D₃ are called “critical vitamins” for poultry, as any deficiency in their availability severely impairs the growth rate and egg production.