A field-ready overview of vitamins A, D3, E, K, B-complex and C â what each one does, what deficiency looks like, and how premix design protects performance.
Why poultry depend entirely on supplemented vitamins
Modern broilers and layers are genetic high-performers with limited feed intake per unit of growth or egg output. Cereal-soy diets cannot supply enough vitamins, and many vitamins degrade during pelleting and storage. A properly designed vitamin premix is therefore performance insurance.
Vitamins split into fat-soluble (A, D3, E, K) and water-soluble (B-complex and C). Stability and antioxidant protection during storage are as important as the label dose.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamin A (retinyl acetate, 500,000 or 1,000,000 IU/g): vision, epithelial integrity and immunity. Deficiency shows as night blindness, rough feathers and respiratory issues. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): calcium-phosphorus absorption; deficiency causes rickets in chicks, cage-layer fatigue and thin eggshells â critical in enclosed housing. Vitamin E: antioxidant protecting cell membranes; deficiency links to encephalomalacia (crazy chick disease) and immunity drops; works with selenium. Vitamin K3 (menadione): blood clotting; deficiency causes bruising and bleeding, especially under coccidial challenge.
Water-soluble vitamins
B1 Thiamine: appetite and carbohydrate energy; deficiency causes polyneuritis and head retraction. B2 Riboflavin: curled-toe paralysis and poor growth when deficient. B3 Niacin: hock disorders and poor feathering. B5 Pantothenic acid, B6 Pyridoxine, B7 Biotin: energy/protein metabolism, skin and foot-pad health, hatchability. B9 Folic acid and B12 Cyanocobalamin: cell division, embryo development and anemia prevention; B12 also requires cobalt in ruminants. Choline and betaine: methyl donors preventing fatty liver and perosis. Vitamin C (coated): conditionally essential during heat stress, vaccination and disease challenge.