Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Chickens
Whether you have a large farming operation or a small backyard coop, chickens are fun and productive animals to raise. But knowing how to care for them is essential, which includes providing the right vitamins and minerals.
Like us, chickens have unique nutritional needs. Chickens require all the same vitamins we do except vitamin C. They rely heavily on several key minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Deficiencies in any of these can result in severe consequences for the health and well-being of your flock.
In this article, I'll cover the essential vitamins and minerals required by your chickens. I'll also explain their needs and how to get them.
Read on for everything you need to know about supplementing your chickens with all the vitamins and minerals they need!
**J&R Pierce Family Farm is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to allow sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. I often link to Amazon when recommending certain products, and if you choose to purchase, I may earn a small percentage of the sale. It costs you nothing extra, and all recommended products are ones that I personally vouch for.**
What Vitamins and Minerals Do Chickens Need?
You must provide your chickens with several essential vitamins and minerals, including the following:
Water-soluble B vitamins
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Calcium
Potassium
Phosphorus
For more information on hitting the mark with essential vitamins, you can watch this video:
Essential Vitamins and Minerals for Chickens
More and more chicken feed producers are reducing the number of essential vitamins and minerals in their products, leaving it up to you to ensure your poultry gets the nutrition it needs. They require all known vitamins, again, except for C.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is easy for free-range chickens to obtain, as it is sourced from leafy greens. They have easy access to the fields. For those chickens kept in pens, there must be supplements or feed offered that are high in Vitamin A.
Vitamin A is necessary for normal growth, proper vision, a healthy immune system, and reproduction and maintenance of epithelial cells.
A deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to overall weakness and a lack of growth. You will see a marked decrease in egg production.
Vitamin D
Your chickens require Vitamin D in their diet in direct correlation to how much calcium and phosphorus they have. Like us, they obtain this vitamin in two ways: from their feed and from direct interaction with sunlight. It is essential for growth and bone and eggshell development.
If your chickens are inside, the light filtering through the window’s glass cannot boost Vitamin D intake. The panes prevent the UV rays from entering, which produce the vitamin upon interacting with the birds’ skin.
When your chickens do not receive enough Vitamin D in their diets, their eggs will be thin-shelled, and production will be reduced. Growth will be slowed, and you will see cases of rickets.
Vitamin E
To maintain proper levels of Vitamin E in your chickens’ diets, you will likely have to add supplementary foods. These include dandelion, nettle, chard, sunflower seeds, spinach, and pumpkin seeds.
If chickens become deficient in Vitamin E, it can result in enlarged hocks and encephalomalacia, commonly known as crazy chick disease.
Vitamin K
In addition to what vitamins are available in the feed you provide your chickens, they can also receive Vitamin K from leafy green vegetables. These include spinach, kale, lettuce, asparagus, and cabbage.
Vitamin K is essential for the support of a healthy immune system. It functions as an antioxidant and supports normal neurological functions. It’s also beneficial in keeping your skin and eyes healthy.
Not enough Vitamin K can result in intramuscular bleeding and instances of prolonged clotting. Signs will usually develop within two to three weeks of the onset.
Thiamine (B1)
The primary sources of thiamine are brewer’s yeast and cereal grains. Soybean, peanut, and cottonseed meals also offer relatively high sources of thiamine. A thiamine deficiency leads to a loss of appetite and eventual death.
Chickens can have an increased requirement for thiamine based on several factors, including high-carbohydrate diets, moldy feed consumption, or a fish-based meal. This vitamin is essential for carbohydrate metabolism and energy transport through the cells.
Riboflavin (B2)
Riboflavin is essential for energy maintenance, metabolism, and blood cell health. It also functions as an antioxidant. The primary sources of this vitamin include brewer’s yeast, yams, eggs, starchy vegetables, grasses, fish, and non-citrus fruits.
Without sufficient riboflavin, your chickens can develop curly-toe paralysis and experience a negative impact on growth and egg production.
Pantothenic Acid
Your chickens need pantothenic acid to process carbohydrates and fat in their regular diet. Common sources of this B vitamin are eggs, dairy products, grains, and legumes.
A pantothenic acid deficiency leads to dermatitis. You’ll also see lesions on the chickens’ mouths and feet.
Niacin
To ensure your chickens have healthy nervous and digestive systems, they need the proper amount of niacin. This vitamin also supports cellular repair. Common dietary sources include peanuts, liver, and fish.
When your chickens lack niacin, they will develop bowed legs and inflammation of their tongue and mouth cavities.
Choline
Choline is another B vitamin that is essential to a healthy body. It supports brain development, muscle movement, and the nervous system. In addition, it ensures the liver remains healthy. Common dietary sources include fish, shellfish, yeast, rice, wheat, and eggs.
A lack of choline can result in a fatty liver, poor development, and decreased egg production.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is essential to promoting red blood cell formation. It’s also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. This vitamin also supports neurological functions.
A Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause embryonic mortality, poor growth, and anemia. You can supply your chickens with animal proteins and dairy products to combat this problem.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is essential to producing and maintaining new cells. In addition to anemia, a lack of folic acid can cause poor growth, feathering, and egg production. Chickens can get their daily allotment from legumes, broccoli, beets, spinach, oranges, and whole wheat.
Biotin
Biotin is essential to improving the keratin infrastructure, which includes the beak, feathers, and toenails. It also assists in the synthesis of Vitamins B9 and B12. Chickens can obtain this vitamin from egg yolks, cauliflower, bananas, nuts, and legumes.
When your chickens don’t receive enough biotin, it can lead to dermatitis around the eyes, beak, and feet.
Calcium
There are several natural sources of calcium for your chickens. The most recommended source is crushed oyster shells. Other options include diatomaceous earth, bone, eggshell, and limestone.
Calcium is essential for strong egg and bone production. When there is a deficiency, you will notice thin-shelled eggs and poor hatchability. Your chickens will also be likely to develop rickets.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus goes hand in hand with calcium. It’s also responsible for the promotion of strong bones and eggshells. Because of this, you must ensure your chickens’ diets are rich in this mineral.
Free-range chickens have a primary opportunity of obtaining this nutrient through grass and leafy greens. All chickens can be supplemented with bone and fish meals.
A lack of phosphorus is very similar to calcium in that it causes thin eggshell development, poor hatchability, and the development of rickets.
Magnesium
Magnesium can be obtained through greens, seeds, wheat germ, and whole grains. It is essential for carbohydrate metabolism, bone formation, and activation of several enzymes.
Without adequate magnesium, your chickens can suddenly die. It can also lead to severe health problems such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and metabolic disorders.
Manganese
Key sources of manganese include spinach, shellfish, and legumes. This mineral is essential to chicken reproduction and development, wound healing, prevention of slipped tendon (perosis), eggshell formation, and nutrient absorption.
Inadequate levels of manganese can lead to perosis and poor hatchability. In laying hens, you can also see a marked reduction in fertility.
Copper
Copper is generally supplied in the form of inorganic salts. Chickens can also obtain copper from cereal grains, vegetable proteins, animal proteins, and corn distiller grains. Copper deficiencies lead to anemia.
This mineral is a cofactor in multiple enzyme systems that play a central role in tissue growth, energy metabolism, and red blood cell formation. Additionally, copper has demonstrated a positive effect on the gut’s microflora, potentially reducing the need for antibiotics.
Iron
Broccoli and Swiss chard are two examples of food sources that are rich in iron for your chickens. Iron is essential in producing red blood cells to replace those who have died. A lack of iron in the diet will lead to anemia.
Iodine
Iodine is essential for chickens because it regulates body temperature, muscle function, and nerve function. It also supports growth and reproduction. It helps metabolize excess fat and prevents Goiter disease.
Organic sources of iodine include spinach, carrots, algae, watercress, fish, asparagus, artichoke, and lettuce. Not enough iodine in your chickens’ diet will lead to Goiter disease.
Zinc
Chickens need zinc for many functions, including immunity against pathogens, increased egg quality, and growth. Zinc is also a metal cofactor for many enzymes.
If your chickens aren’t getting enough zinc, they’ll experience poor feathering and short bones. Excellent sources of zinc include seafood and meat products.
Cobalt
Cobalt is essential to the production of Vitamin B12. However, it’s generally not supplied in high enough values through chicken feed and must be supplemented. A cobalt deficiency results in reduced hatchability, slow growth, and mortality.
Optimal cobalt sources include fish, leafy green vegetables, and cereal grains.
What Kind of Vitamins Can I Give My Chicken?
If you’re looking for an excellent vitamin you can give your chickens, there are plenty to choose from on Amazon. Here are a few to consider.
Fresh Eggs Daily Poultry Probiotics Feed Supplement
Fresh Eggs Daily Poultry Probiotics Feed Supplement on Amazon is a vitamin supplement that promotes immune system response, egg quality, and nutrient absorption. It’s also beneficial in reducing manure odors.
Fresh Eggs Daily Organic Coop Kelp Feed Supplement
Fresh Eggs Daily Organic Coop Kelp Feed Supplement on Amazon is great for promoting egg health and hatchability. It’s also very beneficial to immune system support.
Fresh Eggs Daily Brewer’s Yeast With Garlic Powder and Niacin
Fresh Eggs Daily Brewer’s Yeast With Garlic Powder and Niacin on Amazon promotes immune system response and healthy bone growth. It also reduces odors and supports the digestive system.
Do Chickens Need Vitamins Every Day?
Supplements should not be supplied to your chickens for more than 10 days at a time due to the risk of over-supplementation. While vitamins are essential, there is the potential for offering too much. Your best bet is to chat with a vet who understands your feeding and ranging routines and will be able to provide a more personally-tailored approach.
Vitamins and minerals are also excellent options during the period right before the hatching period. This is especially true for those chickens that don’t have access to fresh forage.
How Do I Give Chickens More Vitamins?
You must supplement their diets with vitamins and minerals to have the healthiest chickens. The best way to do this is to add different foods to their diets, including your table scraps.
Give them scratch grains, which consist of wheat, barley, and corn. Kitchen scraps are mostly safe; however, you will need to watch out for those toxic to chickens and spoiled foods.
Greens from your yard and garden are excellent for promoting egg production. Additionally, they need calcium which can come from oyster shells.
Final Thoughts
Supplementing your chickens can be straightforward as long as you understand their basic needs. Not providing an excess of any vitamin or mineral is just as important as providing enough.
With consequences ranging from thin-shelled eggs to higher mortality rates, it’s critical to provide the right amounts of these vitamins and minerals. While you can purchase them online, you can also use food sources from around the house to supplement their diets.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your chickens is key to ensuring they produce the best eggs - and the happiest birds!
Happy feeding!
Want to learn more about raising chickens? Be sure to check out these articles!
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