Using Poly-Vi-Sol for Chickens | Multivitamin for Chicks

You’ve probably heard about using Poly-Vi-Sol for chickens. It’s commonly used to give baby chicks a vitamin and nutritional boost to help guard against various illnesses and it can be given to adult chickens, too. There are some precautions to be aware of, however.

The main thing to be aware of is that some minerals can be harmful to chickens in large doses. You should also know that there isn’t another health issue, and your chickens are in need of extra vitamins.

Iron is one of the minerals that you have to be careful with when supplementing chicken diets. Most Poly-Vi-Sol does not contain iron, but be aware that some do.

In this article, I’m looking at what exactly Poly-Vi-Sol is, the reasons why chicken owners give it to their chickens, and some other interesting tips:

Table of Contents

What Is Poly-Vi-Sol?

For those who are not aware of what Poly-Vi-Sol is - and I’m sure there are a few - it’s a liquid multivitamin supplement that is designed for infants and small children.

It’s designed to provide some of the most important vitamins young children need when they’re transitioning to solids to make sure they’re getting all the key nutrients they need to stay healthy.

It just so happens all the vitamins are essential for baby chicks, too. Sometimes chicks need a little help, and people have been giving Poly-Vi-Sol to chickens for as long as I can remember reading about it.

It’s especially beneficial for weak, sickly, or chicks or chickens that look like they're lacking good nutritional content.

But please do get your chicks checked out by a professional if you think there is an underlying health issue.

Is Poly-Vi-Sol Safe for Chickens?

Poly-Vi-Sol Is perfectly safe for chickens when given in moderation. It's essentially just a multivitamin that gives them a boost of all the good minerals they should be getting from a quality medicated starter feed.

Sometimes chicks just need a little help. Maybe they’re not able to get enough feed, aren’t eating the feed, or just lack vitamins and are clearly struggling.

Giving this to your chick or chickens as a precautionary measure is one thing. If you have a sick chick and something is clearly not right, however, the best advice I can give you is to speak with a vet to err on the side of caution.

Related - Tips on how warm baby chicks need to be and how to make sure they're drinking enough.

How Much Poly-Vi-Sol Should I Give My Chicken?

I've read varying answers to this question. The general guidelines seems to be no more than 0.5ml/cc spread out throughout the day for chicks.

This should be about 10 drops from a dropper. For adult chickens, you can give them a little more, but I’d still stick to 0.5ml/cc as that should be more than enough.

You shouldn’t need to give this to them for more than 5 days. If their health has clearly not improved after a couple of days, there might be something more serious wrong than just a lack of minerals.

A little tip is to try and put the drop alongside their beak so they take it directly that way. It’s not advisable that you put it in their water as it’ll be too diluted and they might not get enough.

If you want to put something in your chicks’ water to give their immune system a natural boost then use apple cider vinegar.

Related - Here some more details on the benefits of apple cider vinegar for chickens.

Where to Buy Poly-Vi-Sol for Chickens?

You can pick up Poly-Vi-Sol from most supermarkets, pharmacies, and large stores. I buy just about everything from Amazon, if you do too, here is a link to Poly-Vi-Sol on Amazon:

Can You Give Poly-Vi-Sol With Iron to Chickens?

No, is the answer to this question. You should not give Poly-Vi-Sol with added iron to chickens.

Poly-Vi-Sol varies in its exact ingredients, and some do have a small amount of iron in which should be fine.

But most do not have iron in, like the one I linked to above. It’s much better to stick to these as while iron is one of the key minerals for kids, it's potentially toxic to chickens if they get too much in their diet.

I’ve read about all kinds of health issues associated with a high iron intake. I couldn’t get a clear answer on how much is too much, as it’ll vary depending on the chicken.

Just remember that chickens have a much smaller body mass than small children, so any products with added iron designed for kids is going to have a much bigger impact.

So, I’ll say it again to make sure it’s clear - it's advisable to never give chickens Poly-Vi-Sol or any other products with added iron in.

In Summary

There you go, it comes as a surprise to some, but is common knowledge to most experienced chick raisers - Poly-Vi-Sol is a great vitamin booster for baby chicks and chickens.

The main thing to be aware of is that you stay away from the products with added iron, and you should err on the side of caution in terms of the amount you give to your chicks.

I hope this article has been helpful, and more importantly, I hope you have healthy and happy chicks that grow up to be nice and strong with a little help from this vitamin supplement.