In less than 3 weeks chickens have problems if they do not have vitamin D

Poultry Feed Recalled July 2012

The supplier had failed to include vitamin D in a batch of feed

Inadequate levels of vitamin D in a bird's diet for more than two or three weeks may cause bone weakness, fractures or joint problems, and potentially death in birds not exposed to direct sunlight daily, according to a press release from the FDA.

Reminder: Before the 1940's all poultry had access to the sunshine.

Then farmers learned that by supplementing the poultry with vitamin D that they could be 'cooped up

Wonder when it will be realized that 'cooped up humans also need vitamin D supplements

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview Veterinary and vitamin D

  • If cows weighed 150 lbs they would get 10,000 IU of vitamin D DAILY

  • Reptiles, birds, and pets all require vitamin D if they do not have access to sunlight

• Chicken bones, eggs, and activated vitamin D in eggs increased with 2 hours of daily UVB – Dec 2019

• Swine need sunshine or 500-2800 IU vitamin D3

• Lambs get 12000 IU vitamin D per lb of milk replacer much more than RDA for humans

• Why should animals need more vitamin D than humans Merck Manual 1998

  • Note: farmers and vets give animals about 3X the RDA that the FDA recommends

• Primate Nutrient Requirements – 2003 US Govt

• Swine with extra vitamin D more likely to get pregnant and have more and larger piglets – June 2012