Different Types of Vitamins For Laying Hens

Learning about necessary vitamins for laying hens is very important. Because your laying hens need different vitamins and minerals for proper growth and production.

If you feed your laying hens well balanced, high quality, fresh and nutritious feeds then you don’t have to add extra vitamins supplements to their regular feeds.

Add vitamin supplements only if you find any signs of vitamin deficiency to your laying hens. Normally fall off egg production, poor shell quality etc. are signs of vitamin deficiency.

Adding some vitamins supplements to their regular feeds might improve the condition.

Egg Vitamin Deficiency

Lack of some vitamins can causes unexpected egg production and bad quality eggs. Vitamin A and deficiency minimize the egg production.

Lack of vitamin D results eggs with thinner shells and also decrease egg production. Some other vitamin deficiencies that affect egg production are folic acid, choline and vitamin B12 that is also known as riboflavin.

Be aware about vitamin B12 deficiency especially if you are raising chicks. Because lack of this vitamin can result in embryo death.

Hen Vitamin Deficiency

Slow and poor growth can be seen in chickens due to both vitamin A and D deficiency. Lacking of those vitamins can also possibly causes rickets.

Large hocks are sign of vitamin E deficiency. And intramuscular bleeding causes due to lack of sufficient amount of vitamin K in laying hen’s feed. vitamin B is very important for chickens especially for laying hens.

Hens lose their appetites and die due to lack of vitamin B1 or thiamine. Little amount of vitamin B2 causes curly toe paralysis in hens and insufficient amount of vitamin B12 results in anemia and poor growth.

Dermatological lesions on the feet and beak of hens causes due to lack of pantothenic acid and biotin. Bow legs and mouth and tongue inflammation causes due to lack of sufficient amount of niacin.

Fatty liver caused by too little amount of choline. Poor feather quality and anemia causes due to lack of folic acid in the regular feed of hens.

Multivitamins

You can apply multivitamins for chickens if you notice any issues with egg production and quality. Apply multivitamins only when you notice any issues or if your laying hens are not producing and looking as well as they should.

Along with various types of vitamins, minerals are also very important for laying hen’s health. So, you have to buy and apply complete multivitamin-mineral supplements.

During extreme heat and strees periods multivitamin supplementation can be very useful. Mix the multivitamin supplement either with feed or into water, depending on the product type.

Never serve the multivitamin mixed feed or water for long time to the hens and don’t mix the multivitamin supplement into an entire bag or storage container of feed and large water tank.

In case of mixing multivitamins with feeds, mix in enough for several days rations. Always serve your hens sufficient amount of fresh water daily.

Considerations

There are various types of multivitamin poultry products are available in the market. Before buying for your laying hens, consult with your nearest vet or farm experts.

And try to learn what type of multivitamins are best for your particular flock. Pay careful attention to the expiration dates in the body of package. Also check if the packaging requires the product to be used at once, or if it can be resealed for use over a prolonged period.

You should also look at package claims. You know, only proper vet products can treat the actual diseases and help to keep the laying hens healthy and productive.

You can also ask your nearest agricultural extension agent for recommendations. Never use low cost unauthorized medicine or multivitamin supplements. Your birds may sick or die by using those supplements instead of being benefited.

Providing proper vitamins for laying hens is very important for getting better egg production from them and their good health. So pay attention to your hens feed and health. And ensure availability of all types of vitamins and minerals in their regular feed.