Are Vitamins Necessary In The Ratite Diet?
by Daryl Holle
Vitamins are needed in measured amounts by all animals, ideally with natural feeds supplying adequate amounts of many. However, feedstuffs are generally deficient in some of the vitamins. Consequently, in ostrich feeding, we need to be concerned about those that include the fat-soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K and the water-soluble B-complex Vitamins which include Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B6. Ostrich require supplementation of both these fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. Since the fat-soluble vitamins, especially Vitamin A, are stored in the body fat for extended periods of time, excess levels in the feed can be stored for future use. However, there is little storage of the water-soluble vitamins in the body. Thus, ostrich need a constant daily supply of these in their feed.
In general, vitamins regulate body functions. When present in adequate amounts, they will stimulate body functions to promote growth, production, and result in an overall improvement in the health of the ostrich. This better enables them to fight off disease by creating a stronger immune system in the bird.
Let’s look closer at vitamins individually:
Vitamins A & D
Vitamins A and D, when manufactured correctly, are incorporated into minute gelatin beadlets. This is done to improve their stability and aid in an even disperson throughout the feed when mixing. They are distinctly different vitamins with different functions.
Vitamin A is necessary for developing and maintaining healthy tissues of the body. These tissues form the skin and line the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts. When these tissues are kept healthy, they guard against invasion by disease organisms, resulting in increased disease resistance–healthy birds respond with improved growth and production.
Vitamin A is also necessary for good fertilization and reproduction. A deficiency of Vitamin A during any part of the reproductive cycle causes irregularities in breeding habits, and birds do not conceive readily.
Most natural feeds do not contain Vitamin A as such, but contain beta-carotene that must be converted to Vitamin A within the body. In general, this conversion process can be very inefficient because of other metabolic interruptions. As an example, excess levels of nitrates in the feed or water will inhibit the conversion of beta-carotene to Vitamin A.
Vitamin D is necessary for adequate absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the feed in the digestive tract–an extremely important function. Following absorption, Vitamin D aids in the retention and deposition of these minerals in a bond which results in strong, sound bones. Vitamin D also helps maintain normal levels of these minerals in the blood.
Adequate Vitamin D in the diet has a positive effect on the animal’s appetite, which stimulates increased feed intake for better growth and production and better feed efficiency. Vitamin D deficiencies cause slow growth, poor production, deformed bones and poor reproduction.
It is thought that some Vitamin D is produced in the ostrich by the reaction of sunlight on the skin. However, this synthesis is not in sufficient amounts to meet the bird’s requirement for good growth and production. The amount of Vitamin D produced by this reaction is drastically reduced during the winter months, which is usually just prior to the ostrich laying season.
Vitamin E
Each year research provides additional evidence supporting the need for supplementing livestock rations with higher amounts of Vitamin E.
Vitamin E works in conjunction with the trace mineral, selenium, to prevent destruction of muscle tissue, including the heart, and also prevents the “sudden death syndrome” in which apparently healthy, rapidly-growing birds suddenly die without warning. Liver tissue deterioration is also related to Vitamin E/selenium deficiency.
Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and prevents the destruction of other vitamins and nutrients in the ration. Similarly, it acts as an antioxidant within the body to prevent destruction of the body tissues, muscles, or liver.
Vitamin E, when present in adequate amounts, appears to aid in conception and reproduction.
Vitamin E has been found to work with selenium in increasing the effectiveness of the ostrich immune system.
As is true with all nutrients, Vitamin E, in proper levels, improves overall animal health resulting in improved weight gains, better feed efficiency, and few disease problems.
In the past, it was felt that natural feedstuffs contained adequate levels of Vitamin E for maximum livestock production. However, variations in the availability of Vitamin E in certain feedstuffs and the increased destruction of Vitamin E when feeds are artifically dried have resulted in the need for increased supplementation in rations. It is felt that all rations should contain supplemental amounts of Vitamin E and that all feeds should contain selenium for maximum and most efficient production. Blue Mountain Ostrich Feeds contain the highest level of Vitamin E known in the industry today.
Vitamin K (menadione) is known as the blood-clotting vitamin since it is necessary for normal clotting of blood. When Vitamin K is deficient, the time required for blood to clot is increased. If the deficiency is severe enough, animals can bleed to death internally. Certain molds can produce a chemical which interferes with the use of Vitamin K. Adding Vitamin K to the ration can be helpful in overcoming the problem.
It is generally recommended that all ostrich rations contain additional amounts of Vitamin K.
B-Complex Vitamins
The B-complex vitamins are the water-soluble vitamins and are not stored in large amounts in the animal body. A steady, daily supply of them is needed in ostrich rations.
The B-complex includes 10 or more different vitamins, each with several specific functions. Six of them must be routinely added to ostrich rations: riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline chloride, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12.
The B-complex vitamins control or regulate enzyme activity in the body. A major effect of their control is in the specific enzyme activity involved in the breakdown of feed nutrients for absorption into the bloodstream. These enzymes stimulate appetite, and their actions result in increased production and proper growth, more efficient feed utilization, and improved reproduction.
Each individual vitamin in the B-complex has specific functions, too numerous to discuss at this time. However, Vitamin B12 is unique–it is one of the latest to be discovered and has had a tremendous impact on nutrition. It is necessary for protein formation and aids in the prevention of anaemia. The most significant factor about Vitamin B12 is that it has eliminated the need for animal protein, such as meat meal and tankage, in poultry and ostrich rations. Since plants have practically no Vitamin B12, before its discovery, animal protein was necessary in the rations since animal tissues contain relatively large amounts of B12. But, today, only minute amounts of this synthetic vitamin in the ration permit maximum performance with only plant proteins. This allows the finished product feed to be of higher quality with better protein digestibility from plant products and no contamination risk from animal meat ingredients. Animal meat products are thought to be the cause of the “Mad-Cow Syndrome” in Europe.
For this reason, Blue Mountain Ostrich Feed does not contain any animal meat by-products such as meat or bone meal. Only higher quality plant product ingredients are used.
Vitamin B12 needs an adequate amount of the trace mineral, cobalt, in order to be utilized properly by the ostrich. Cobalt is an integral part of the B12 molecule.
Summary
As you can see, vitamins play an important role in total nutrition balance of ostrich feed. A deficiency of these ingredients in your feed can have many effects. In breeder pairs laying eggs, it can cause infertility, eggs with poor porosity making them difficult to incubate, early embryo deaths, and malpositioned chicks. During the first 3 weeks of the chick’s life, poor breeder pair nutrition can cause crooked beaks, rolled toes, and weak tendons causing splayed legs in the baby chicks. A deficiency of vitamins in the chick’s diet can also cause the body to grow faster than the bone structure causing the legs to bend or spin out.
Most people are of the opinion to feed the slaughter ostrich as cheaply as possible, without regard for possible vitamin deficiencies. This can be a big mistake as adequate vitamins are necessary for fast muscle growth resulting in much higher meat production–resulting in faster weight gains and more tender meat. The idea behind good nutrition is NOT THE FEED COST PER BAG OR TON, but rather the ACTUAL FEED COST PER POUND OF MEAT IN THE PACKAGE. Good nutrition will always win out over any other method of cheap nutrition resulting in higher profits for the producer at a more effective cost.
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