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Health note: This guide is general information, not veterinary advice, and our writers are not veterinarians. If a bird is sick, injured or not improving, contact a poultry vet, and always follow product labels and your vet's instructions for any medication. How we write health content.
Durvet Vitamins & Electrolytes Concentrate is a water-soluble vitamin and salt premix for livestock and poultry, sold as a nutrient supplement for times when animals are eating less than normal. For chickens it is mostly used during heat waves, transport and other stress. The label rate is ½ package (2 oz) per 55 gallons of drinking water, mixed fresh every day.
Key Takeaways
- A premix of vitamins (A, D3, E, K and B vitamins, plus vitamin C) and electrolytes (mainly sodium, with potassium).
- Label rate: ½ package (2 oz) in 55 gallons or 1 package (4 oz) in 110 gallons of drinking water; mix fresh daily.
- Chickens don’t sweat. They cool by panting, which raises their water needs in hot weather.
- It is a supplement, not a treatment. It contains thiamine (vitamin B1), so don’t give it during amprolium (Corid) treatment for coccidiosis.
Correction: an earlier version of this review said electrolytes replace minerals lost through sweating (chickens don’t sweat), made claims about immunity, egg quality and appetite that are not on the label, and gave no mixing rate. It has been rewritten from the product label.
What Is In It?
Durvet’s detail sheet gives this guaranteed analysis per 4 oz package:
| Nutrient | Per 4 oz |
|---|---|
| Sodium | 27-32% |
| Potassium | 2% minimum |
| Vitamin A | 2,500,000 IU |
| Vitamin D3 | 1,000,000 IU |
| Vitamin E | 1,000 IU |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 mg |
| Riboflavin | 750 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 1,250 mg |
| Niacin | 2,500 mg |
| Menadione (vitamin K) | 1,000 mg |
| Folic acid | 65 mg |
| Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 250 mg |
| Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | 250 mg |
| Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) | 3,750 mg |
The ingredients include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, ferrous sulfate and dextrose along with the vitamins. The product is labeled for cattle, horses, other ruminants, swine and poultry.
How to Mix It (Label Directions)
| Use | Amount |
|---|---|
| Drinking water | ½ package (2 oz) in 55 gallons, or 1 package (4 oz) in 110 gallons |
| Water proportioner | 1 package per gallon of stock solution |
| Feed | 4 oz per ton |
Mix a fresh solution every day. The label rate works out to roughly 1 gram of powder per gallon of water, so for a small flock you need only a small pinch in a 1-gallon waterer. A kitchen scale that measures grams makes it much easier to get right. More is not better: the powder is about 30% sodium.
When It Can Help
- Heat waves: chickens have no sweat glands and cool by panting, which increases water loss. University of Arizona Extension suggests offering electrolyte mixes for a few hours, then replacing them with fresh, plain water.
- Stress and reduced eating: for example after transport, moving birds or during recovery, when birds eat less than usual. This is the use described on the label.
When Not to Use It
- During amprolium (Corid) treatment: it contains thiamine (vitamin B1), which can make amprolium less effective against coccidiosis. Wait until the course is finished.
- As the only water, all the time: always provide plain water too, or switch back to plain water after a few hours in hot weather.
- Instead of a diagnosis: vitamins and electrolytes support birds, but they don’t treat disease. Sick birds need a diagnosis.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Inexpensive; one 4 oz package goes a long way | Label amounts are for large volumes, so small flocks need to measure carefully |
| Broad vitamin and electrolyte mix in one product | Contains thiamine, so it can’t be used during amprolium treatment |
| Labeled for poultry | A supplement only; no proven effect on disease |
FAQs
How much Durvet Vitamins & Electrolytes per gallon for chickens?
The label gives 1 package (4 oz) per 110 gallons, which works out to roughly 1 gram per gallon. Mix fresh each day.
Can I give electrolytes to chickens every day?
It is meant for times of stress or reduced eating, not as a permanent additive. Always make plain water available as well.
Can I use it with Corid?
Not during treatment. It contains thiamine (vitamin B1), which can reduce amprolium’s effect. Give it after the course is over.
Is it safe for laying hens?
It is labeled for poultry. Use it at the label rate and for short periods, and keep plain water available.
Conclusion
Durvet Vitamins & Electrolytes is a simple, inexpensive supplement for hot weather and stressful times. Mix it at the label rate, make it fresh daily, keep plain water available, and skip it while treating coccidiosis with amprolium.
Sources
- Durvet: Vitamins & Electrolytes Concentrate (product page)
- Durvet: Vitamins & Electrolytes detail sheet (PDF)
- Frontiers in Physiology (2022): A review of heat stress in chickens, Part I
- University of Arizona Extension (via Extension Foundation): Managing backyard chickens during extreme summer temperatures
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Coccidiosis in Poultry
Checked September 2026. Labels change, so always read the label on the product you buy. See our editorial policy for how we research health articles.
