Delaware’s poultry industry relies on tiny but powerful nutrients that pack a major punch when it comes to keeping birds healthy and productive. These essential micronutrients, known as trace minerals, are fed to chickens and turkeys in small amounts but deliver outsized benefits for farm operations across the region.
Five key minerals – zinc, copper, manganese, iron, and selenium – serve as critical building blocks that help activate hundreds of different enzymes and proteins within poultry. These biological processes control vital functions including disease resistance, energy processing, reproductive health, cellular protection, skeletal strength, and the ability to handle environmental pressures.
Today’s commercial poultry operations push birds to achieve high levels of egg and meat production while managing various stressors, making proper mineral nutrition more important than ever for Delaware’s agricultural economy.
