Vitamin A
An underlooked vitamin
Carrots contains beta carotene which turns into Vitamin A in the body.
Since my girl Bartok had her wry neck episode, vitamin deficincies in poultry have started to faschinated me.
I have this belief that of you can understand how a vitamin works, you can have a bigger understanding for deficincies.
I have this belief that of you can understand how a vitamin works, you can have a bigger understanding for deficincies.
After seeing a user on instagram telling how important Vitamin A are for chickens. I got curios!
Vitamin A is really top of the vitamin chain. Its a fat soluble vitamin, which most often has its storage in the liver.
This vitamin makes sure that whats known as eplithelial cells are in good condition.
These cells are found in the skin and also on the linings of the digestive, reproductive, respitory tract.
This means that this top of the Vitamin chain - Vitamin A makes sure that
- Mucus membrane
- Skin
- Vision
- Immune System
Stays healthy.
Vanessa have problems with her eyes, my main goal with her food is to boost her with Vitamin A to help her eyes.
Symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency in Poultry
- Ruffeld feathers
- Emaciated and weak
- Reduced eggproduction
- Decreased hatch rate
- Small follicles in the ovary, some showing hemorrhage
- Milky, chessy discharge in the eyes and nostrils.
- Xerophthalmia, also known as dry eye.
If a mother hen suffers from a vitamin A deficiency her chicks will inherit this deficincy.
Depending on how much the mother hen has in her liver storage, the symptoms may appear within 7 days.
Some of the signs of Vitamin A deficincy in chicks:
- Anorexia
- Growth retardation
- Loss of yellow pigment in shank and beaks
- Pale comb and wattles
They usally die before it comes to the symptom of discharge from eyes and nostrils.
Green kale, easy to grow and loved by many
Vitamin A rich foods
- Green Kale
- Pumpkin
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupe
My own speculations:
Reading about the side effects of Vitamim A deficincy, I do wonder how often its misstaken for a respiratory problem.
The vitamin works in so many linings of diffrent tracts in the bird. So you could speculate what other side effects these birds get if the linings aint in healthy condition.
Thats why my belief will always be that if you have a sick bird in any condition its good to supplement their treatment with a multivitamin.