Multivitamins?

[Livinwright Farm]

I don't have any poultry vitamins, but I DO have plain old multivitamins, I am wondering if it would be safe to crush one(or two?) and add it to their 1 liter of water?

 

[Livinwright Farm]

I should probably add that this would be for 3 week old chicks.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Anyone?

 

[ranchhand]

Why? Is there a specific problem?

I only add vitamins if there is a problem that it might help. And then it's infant vitamins without added iron.

 

[elmo]

No, I would not add human multivitamins to water for chicks. The formulation might be so far wrong as to harm the chicks.

If you're using a commercial starter feed, all the nutrients the chicks require will be right in the feed.

 

[Judy]

I agree, that would most likely be an overdose.

A little live culture yogurt would be a god idea, though, or kefir or buttermilk, just a tsp or so per chick. They might accept it better if you mix it with a little feed.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I often will add a little Vita Pro B to their water when they are a week old. Sometimes a few times until they are about 2 weeks old when I start putting clumps of dirt and grass in the brooder.
Mine need plenty of stimulation though since I often have about 300 chicks in the brooder room of different ages. Grass and dirt is good for their crops and minds. I seldom have a picking problem unless we are snowed under and I can't get to dirt and grass clods.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Just wanted to give them more of a boost, and have seen a lot of pages mentioning giving them vitamins and the ones for chickens are so expensive around here. I had read that the excess vitamins & minerals would be excreted, but given all of your responses, I am guessing this is mis-information. Bummer, cause I always get my multivitamins in bulk... so I have "excess". I have been giving them the yolk from medium-hard boiled eggs to give them a little extra protein(They are

-ing it!). This group of chicks is the first ever hatched here on our farm, and we lost 6-7 chicks in the first week for unknown reasons(seemed fine, then all of a sudden it was like they couldn't breathe and within 5 minutes they were dead). I am just trying to anything I can(with a very limited budget) to ensure we don't lose the rest of them.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Some excess vitamins are excreted while others can build up in the liver, etc. Mashed up hard boiled egg (yolk and white included) is an excellent protein supplement for chicks as well as chickens. I still give it to my adult flock from time to time

I'm assuming you're artificially brooding these chicks, right? Is your heating seat up adequate? I have heard of chicks piling together for warmth and suffocating some on the bottom.