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Animal Nutrition & Health

KemTRACE® Chromium for Laying Hens

Help hens maintain productive performance when stressors challenge the flock

KemTRACE® Chromium is a highly bioavailable, organic source of chromium propionate that helps reduce the constant negative effects of stress that laying hens face. By helping hens better manage their physiological response to stress, KemTRACE Chromium supports egg quality, livability, and consistent performance throughout the entire laying cycle.

Backed by decades of research and fed to millions of animals around the world, KemTRACE Chromium is the only FDA-reviewed source of chromium propionate on the animal nutrition and health market today. 

OMRI Listed Color Logo

KemTRACE® Chromium-OR — an OMRI Listed®, organic-compliant form of chromium propionate — is also available in the U.S. for use in organic laying hen diets.

KemTRACE Chromium and KemTRACE Chromium-OR are manufactured in the U.S., sourced from U.S.-based raw materials and are available in two product concentrations:

  • 0.04% - for use in complete diets
  • 0.4% - for use in a premix prior to inclusion in complete diets
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Now Approved for Laying Hen Diets in the United States

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine has approved KemTRACE® Chromium as a source of organic chromium in laying hen diets.

The approval expands the authorized poultry uses of chromium propionate to growing turkeys, broiler chickens, broiler breeder chickens, and laying hens. 

Why Stress Management Matters in Layer Production

Stress Can Disrupt Productive Performance

Laying hens experience a variety of stressors throughout the production cycle, including environmental changes, heat, handling, vaccination programs, health challenges, changes in feed or water, and the demands of sustained egg production.

When a hen experiences stress, corticosterone, a stress hormone, is released, negatively affecting biological functions associated with metabolism, growth, immune response, and productive performance.

Research shows that chromium supplementation can reduce corticosterone levels, helping lessen the negative physiological consequences of stress. This allows the bird to devote more of its biological resources to maintenance, health, and production. 

Common stressors in laying-hen operations may include:

  • Heat and environmental changes
  • Vaccination and handling
  • Feed or water-quality challenges
  • Disease pressure
  • Peak production demands
  • Flock movement or housing changes
  • Changes in management or nutrition
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How Does KemTRACE Chromium Work in Poultry?

KemTRACE Chromium Helps Reduce the Negative Effects of Stress

When laying hens encounter excessive or prolonged physiological stress, corticosterone is released into the bloodstream and can interfere with normal biological processes and direct resources away from productivity.

KemTRACE Chromium helps reduce circulating corticosterone, thereby lessening the negative effects caused by stress and helping birds more effectively express their genetic potential. 

Mode of Action

1. The hen encounters a stressor
Environmental, health, nutritional, or management conditions challenge the bird.

2. The adrenal gland releases corticosterone
The bird begins a physiological stress response.

3. Elevated corticosterone affects normal functions
Metabolism, immune response, and productive performance may be challenged.

4. Chromium helps lower corticosterone
The negative biological effects associated with stress are reduced.

5. The hen is better able to maintain performance
Resources remain available to support maintenance, health, egg quality, and production.

Why KemTRACE Chromium?

Research Icon

 

Decades of Research

Over 25 years and 50+ U.S. trials validating safety, efficacy, and traceability.

Made in the USA Icon

 

Made in the USA

Strict quality control with FSSC 22000-certified facility in Des Moines, Iowa.

FDA Reviewed Icon

 

FDA-Reviewed

Meets 21 FCR 573.304 standards and approved for use in swine, dairy, beef, broilers, broiler breeders, growing turkeys, layers, and horse diets.

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Lab-Tested Confidence

CALTAX, a Kemin laboratory, screens raw materials for possible hazards before production.

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Expert Support

Backed by Kemin Ph.D. nutritionists and animal health experts for optimal performance.

KemTRACE Chromium and KemTRACE Chromium-OR Feeding Instructions

Feeding PeriodFeeding Rate (Not to Exceed)
Laying hens0.2 parts per million (200 parts per billion)

Delivers 0.2 parts per million (200 parts per billion) chromium (from chromium propionate) when added and thoroughly mixed at a rate of 1 pound per ton of complete layer feed. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Kemin’s chromium propionate is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine as a source of organic chromium in laying-hen diets.

Chromium helps hens manage the negative physiological effects associated with stress. When hens experience stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosterone. Elevated corticosterone can negatively affect metabolism, immune response, and productive performance. Chromium supplementation has been shown to reduce corticosterone levels, helping lessen these negative effects.

KemTRACE Chromium helps reduce circulating corticosterone, a stress hormone released by the bird’s adrenal gland. Reducing the physiological stress response helps lessen the negative effects of stress and supports the bird’s ability to maintain productive performance.

Laying hens encounter environmental, management, health, and production stressors throughout the laying cycle. KemTRACE Chromium provides nutritional support that helps hens manage the effects of these stressors and maintain consistent performance.

In a 112-day layer study, the 0.20 mg/kg approved feeding level did not negatively effect the evaluated egg-quality measurements. Hens maintained egg quality and livability during peak production.

A target animal safety study demonstrated hen safety, egg-quality maintenance, and livability when KemTRACE Chromium was fed at the recommended use rate.

KemTRACE Chromium may be used as part of a nutrition program intended to help birds manage the physiological effects of stress.

Supplemental chromium from all sources cannot exceed 0.2 parts per million, or 200 parts per billion, in complete poultry feed. Always follow the current product label and applicable regulatory requirements.

KemTRACE Chromium is available in 0.04% and 0.4% concentrations. The appropriate option depends on whether the product will be incorporated directly into complete feed or used through a premix.

KemTRACE Chromium is manufactured by Kemin in Des Moines, Iowa, United States.

KemTRACE Chromium is the only FDA-reviewed source of chromium propionate on the market today. Kemin also supports the product with source-specific research, defined product specifications, quality controls, traceability, and U.S. manufacturing.

No. “Organic chromium” describes the chemical form in which chromium is associated with an organic ligand. It does not automatically mean a product is approved for use in certified organic production. Producers should select the appropriate KemTRACE Chromium-OR product and verify its current listing and approved use.

Product Specifications

Hy-Line® is a registered trademark of Hy-Line International. 
OMRI Listed® is a registered trademark of Organic Materials Review Institute. 

References
1Malheiros, D., Spears, J. W., Wysocky, B., Lloyd, K. E., Krafka, K., Malheiros, R. D., & Anderson, K. E. (2026). Animal and human food safety of chromium propionate in layer hen diets. Poultry Science, 105(7), 106893.

Connect with a Kemin layer specialist to discuss how KemTRACE Chromium can fit into your poultry nutrition program.

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Animal Nutrition & Health
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