VITAMIN REQUIREMENTS

Vitamin requirements of intensively housed animals have been well defined by the National Research Council (NRC) of the United States of America. The NRC recommendation formed the basis of the vitamin recommendations to prevent specific clinical deficiencies in commercial poultry. The recommendations are revised on frequent intervals to include the latest research findings. The NRC recommendation is not linked to any modern commercial breed or its specific commercial parameters. 

The NRC recommendation serves as a good base to evaluate vitamin inclusion levels in commercial poultry feed. To determine vitamin inclusion levels in poultry feed, additional evaluation may often be necessary under different husbandry and management conditions.

The NRC recommendation in general is accepted as being the minimum levels of vitamin inclusion in poultry feed. The following points are worth noting when considering vitamin supplementation of poultry feed. NRC recommendations aim to prevent clinical vitamin deficiency.

OPTIMUM VITAMIN NUTRITION

Intensive poultry production is carried out under diverse and varying environmental conditions, housing and husbandry practices. The incidence of disease and the success of its control significantly influence the performance of commercial poultry. In general both physical and physiological stress factors impose a higher demand for the nutrients for survival in preference to the commercial parameters. The stress factors invariably impose higher vitamin requirements to meet the increased metabolic demand and release of energy for survival.

Optimum vitamin nutrition is aimed at permitting the full genetic potential to be achieved under methods of modern husbandry, housing and disease control measures. The role of vitamins is aimed to meet not only the metabolic needs under these conditions but also specific requirements for immunological expressions.

The optimum performance of a commercial flock is based on measurable criteria in terms of economic. The main criteria include parameters of growth rate , feed conversion & egg production, as well as fertility, hatchability and livability of a flock.