Impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sows and litter

A total of 112 sows and their litters were used to determine the effects of supplemented vitamin D on sow performance, subsequent pre-weaning pig performance, neonatal pig bone and muscle characteristics, and serum vitamin metabolites. Sows were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary regimens: 1) low vitamin D₃ (801 IU/kg); 2) medium vitamin D₃ (2002 IU/kg); 3) high vitamin D₃ (9612 IU/kg); or 4) 51 μg 25(OH)D₃/kg, which were fed throughout gestation and lactation.

Overall, increasing maternal vitamin D₃ linearly increased serum 25(OH)D₃ of sows on d 100 of gestation, at farrowing, and at weaning. At the same physiological periods, sows fed 25(OH)D₃ had higher serum 25(OH)D₃ compared to sows fed the low or medium concentration of vitamin D₃; however, their levels were reduced compared to the serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations of sows fed the high concentration of vitamin D₃ on the same sampling days. Also increasing vitamin D₃ increased piglet serum 25(OH)D₃ at birth and weaning. Piglets from sows fed 25(OH)D₃ had greater serum 25(OH)D₃ compared to piglets from sows fed the low and medium concentration of vitamin D₃; however, at weaning, serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations were only greater compared to the low concentration of vitamin D₃. Also, piglets from sows fed the high concentration of vitamin D₃ had greater serum concentration at birth and at weaning, compared to piglets from sows fed 25(OH)D₃. Maternal performance, litter characteristics, neonatal bone ash content, and neonatal muscle fiber characteristics were unaffected by the maternal vitamin D regimen.

Overall, vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D₃ both appear to be useful at increasing serum 25(OH)D₃ concentrations, but more vitamin D₃ (on an IU basis) is needed to achieve similar serum 25(OH)D₃ responses compared to feeding 25(OH)D₃. Interestingly, sows fed 25(OH)D₃ during lactation had less vitamin D₃ transport to the pig than sows fed medium and high concentrations of vitamin D₃ suggesting that vitamin D₃ is still a more useful metabolite for milk transfer of the vitamin.

Flohr, J. R.; Woodworth, J. C.; Tokach, M. D.; Dritz, S. S.; Goodband, R. D.; DeRouchey, J. M.; and Bergstrom, J. R. (2015) "Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, neonatal muscle and bone characteristics, and subsequent pre-weaning pig performance," Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 1: Iss. 7. http://dx.doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.1128