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Impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sows and litter

Maternal vitamin D3 supplementation improves serum concentration in both sows and piglets but, does not affect their performance.

22 September 2016
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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

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