Vitamin K3 is essential for regulating the plasma content of proteins required for blood coagulation.
It controls the synthesis of prothrombin and other blood-clotting factors in the liver and vitamin K deficiency reduces blood coagulation leading to heavy haemorrhaging, especially in birds.
The supply of vitamin K should be increased when birds are receiving medical treatment since that antibiotics and sulpha drug affect the availability of vitamin K as both prevent the correct synthesis of this vitamin by the intestinal flora.
