Water Soluble Vitamins Deficiencies in Poultry (Part-2)

Vitamins are organic compounds necessary for maintaining normal body processes i.e. growth, health, fertility, and performance. They are regarded as essential micro-nutrients.

Water soluble vitamins which include so-called B-complex vitamins and vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) become deficient. We can use synthetic preparation to overcome the deficiency.

ADVANTAGES OF SYNTHETIC VITAMINS IN ANIMAL FEED:

Biological and physical characteristics are known; potency is uniform; stability is adequate with few exceptions; supply is usually unlimited.
Weight added per ton to the animal diet is small, hence adjustment upward or downward or in different ratios can be made without upsetting the remainder of the diet.
Readymade combinations can be formulated in premix form for quick addition to specific diet for a given species of animal for a defined production objective with assurance of known diet values.
Cost is economical hence vitamin restriction of individual natural feed ingredients can be removed from computer program, thus increasing the flexibility of programming for least cost energy and protein needs and shortening computer operation time. (UFFF, UFFDA, MIXIT2, F1)
Assay costs of determining the variability of the natural vitamin content of feedstuffs can be decreased by supplementing with chemically produced nutrients.
Assay costs of determining the vitamin content of the final mix diet can be decreased since the assay of one or two components of the premix will give confidence of the mixing adequacy of all the premix vitamins in the final diet. (HPLC= High-pressure liquid chromatography / High-performance liquid chromatography / High price liquid chromatography)
The use of chemically prepared vitamins eliminates unknown existing at times in natural ingredients or seasonal nutrient variation, physiological nutrient availability, insecticidal residues in products, etc.
Chemically prepared vitamins have versatility in forms and applications__ adaptability to dry feeds, liquid supplements, drinking water solutions, drenches, and capsule forms.

VITAMIN B₁( THIAMINE ):

Vitamin B₁ deficiency in chickens is characterized by extreme anorexia, polyneuritis, and death.

Causes:

Inadequate levels of vitamin B₁ in the feed.
High carbohydrate based feed, low in vitamin B₁
Presence of thiamine splitting enzyme (thiaminase) in the feed ingredients (e.g; improperly processed or raw fish mesl).

Control:

Supply adequate levels of B₁ in the feed.

VITAMIN B₂ (RIBOFLAVIN):

Vitamin B₂ deficiency is characterized by slow growth, emaciation, curled toe paralysis and in hens low egg production and hatchability.

Causes:

Inadequate levels of vitamin B₂ in the feed especially in high energy diets.
Riboflavin is sensitive to light and pH.

Control:

Supply adequate levels of B₂in the feed.

VITAMIN B₆ (PYRIDOXINE):

Pyridoxine deficiency in chicken is characterized by loss of appetite, poor growth, drop in egg production, low hatchability and nervous signs.

Causes:

High protein feed with low vitamin B₆ in the feed.
Inadequate levels of vitamin B₆ in the feed.

Control:

Since the deficiency symptoms in chicken appear with a few days of being fed pyridoxine deficient, feed it is essential that adequate levels of vitamin B₆ be maintained in well balanced feed.

NICOTINIC ACID (NIACIN):

Niacin deficiency in chicken is characterized by inflammation of the buccal cavity, poor feathering enlarged hocks, and diarrhea.

Causes:

Nicotinic acid biologically unavailable.
Insufficient absorption.
Excess of leucine, arginine and glycine in the feed.
Stress condition requiring high levels.
Errors in mixing.

Control:

For young chickens supply well balanced feed with adequate levels of niacin.

PENTOTHENIC ACID:

Pantothenic acid deficiency in chicken is characterized by retarded growth, rough plumage, lesions around the mouth and embryonic mortality.

Causes:

Low pantothenic acid in the breeder feed.
Inadequate levels in chick starter feed.
Presence of antagonists in feed e.g; copper.

Control:

Maintain adequate levels of pantothenic acid in the feed and regularly check feed for its contents.

CHOLINE:

Choline deficiency in chicken is characterized by poor growth and perosis (slip tendon)

Causes:

Inadequate choline levels in feed.
Lack of choline synthesis by the chicken.

Control:

Maintain adequate levels of choline in the feed given to the young chicken.

BIOTIN:

Biotin deficiency in chickens is characterized by dermatitis of the mandible and feet, reduced growth rate and lowered hatchability.

Causes:

Administration of antibiotics to chicken may kill those bacteria which synthesize biotin in the gut. (Microbes synthesize 10% of biotin in growing chickens.)
Presence of biotin antagonists and binders in the feed (avidin, aflatoxins, molds, peroxidizing fats i.e. rancid fats).
Inadequate levels of biotin in the feed.

Control:

Supply adequate levels of biotin in chicken feed.
Avoid excessive use of antibiotics.
Eliminate biotin antagonists where possible.
Assay feed samples to determine the levels of biotin at frequent intervals.

FOLIC ACID:

Folic acid deficiency in chicken is characterized by poor growth, poor feathering, anemia, perosis and loss of feather pigmentation.

Causes:

Inadequate levels of folic acid in the chicken feed.
Stability of folic acid is poor particularly through the pelleting process.
Sulfonamides inhibit folic acid biosynthesis.

Control:

Provide adequate levels of folic acid in the feed.
Assay feed samples at frequent intervals to determine the folic acid levels in the feed.

VITAMIN B₁₂ :

The vitamin B₁₂ deficiency signs are rarely seen in chickens raised on the litter. The vitamin B₁₂ is synthesized by the bacteria in the gut and in the litter. The signs of a vitamin B₁₂ deficiency include slow growth, slower feed conversion, and increased mortality and reduced hatchability. Perosis may only occur when the feed is also deficient in choline and methionine. Peak embryonic mortality occurs at 17^th day of incubation. Response to treatment is good usually within one week.