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Folic Acid
 Looking through the water-soluble vitamins essential for good poultry health, we turn to folic acid.
Folic acid has important roles to play in poultry growth, feather development and in the production of red blood cells. As with other vitamin deficiencies, not enough folic acid in the diet can effect the growth of chicks and lead to poor feathering, skeletal deformities and an increased risk of anaemia. If adult birds are deficient egg production and hatchability may be adversely affected.
Folic acid is found in grass and other green leaves, so free ranging birds and those with some access to good vegetation will gain reasonable levels from their environment. Feeding a good quality poultry feed will ensure that birds receive the correct level of folic acid for optimum health and production. Most cereals, brewers yeast, soya bean and dried grass are sources of folic acid and are all often included in poultry rations.
Folic acid is temperature sensitive and levels in feed can be dramatically reduced if the feed is allowed to over heat, so correct storage of feed in a cool place is essential in order to preserve the vitamin content.
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