Poultry Improvement Contest Fats, Minerals, and Vitamins

Review Nutrition Six Essential Nutrients Water Fats Carbohydrates Proteins Minerals Vitamins

Fats Fats also contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen but in different ratios than carbohydrates. Fats contain about 2 1/4 times the energy value of carbohydrates

Why Feed Fat? Aids in absorption of certain vitamins. Increases the palatability of the ration. Decreases dustiness and dryness of the ration. Increases the production energy of the ration. Found as a component in every cell in the body.

Fats are composed of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. They differ in chemical make up.

Essential Fatty Acids Fatty acids are required by chickens Without them they grow poorly, and can get fatty livers. Large amounts of fishy or rancid flavors are undesirable to the chicken and will flavor the meat.

Minerals Minerals are inorganic(not made from carbon). Exist primarily in the form of salts and ash. Essential for bone and eggshell formation and regulatory processes in the body.

Essential Minerals Poultry require calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, selenium, and molybdenum. Macrominerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and sodium are required in the largest amounts and must be included as additives in the ration.

Calcium Required for Bone and eggshell formation. Blood clotting. Muscular actions. Lack of calcium Causes rickets which results in soft rubbery bones and thin shelled eggs. »Limestone is provided to laying hens in the form of grade limestone and oyster or clam shells.

Phosphorus Important mineral needed by the bone. Its need goes hand in hand with calcium. Sources include: Dicalcium phosphate Bone meal Defluorinated rock

Sodium and Potassium Essential in maintaining electrolyte balance in body. Poultry deficient in potassium have: »Reduced growth »Increase in kidney and urinary problems Poultry deficient in sodium have: »Poor growth »A nervous condition that may bring on cannibalism »Poor utilization

Potassium usually is in the ration. Sodium is usually added in small amounts as common table salt. Magnesium Is important to the tissues and body fluids.

Vitamins Complex organic structures essential in minute amounts for: Growth Reproduction Overall health The purpose of vitamins is body regulation rather than development and structure.