TRIENNIAL GROWTH SYMPOSIUM— Effects of dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and cholecalciferol on blood vitamin D and mineral status, bone turnover, milk composition, and reproductive performance of sows12

Abstract

To evaluate the role of vitamin D3 during gestation and lactation of sows, 2 independent experiments were performed with the aim of investigating sow reproductive performance, milk composition (study 1 only), and changes in blood status of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)2-D3; study 2 only), minerals, and bone markers of sows during gestation and lactation. Study 1 comprised 39 primi- and multiparous crossbred sows fed 1 of 3 barley meal-based diets fortified with 200 IU/kg vitamin D3 (NRC, 1998; treatment DL), 2,000 IU/kg vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol; treatment DN), or 50 μg 25-OH-D3 (calcidiol; treatment HD)/kg feed. This study was conducted over a 4-parity period under controlled conditions. Study 2, running over 1 parity only, was performed in a commercial farm with 227 primi- and multiparous sows allocated to 2 dietary treatments: control (CON), receiving 2,000 IU vitamin D3/kg (equivalent to 50 μg/kg) feed (114 sows), and test (HYD), supplemented with 50 μg 25-OH-D3/kg feed (113 sows). Blood samples of sows were collected at 84 and 110d postcoitum and 1, 5, and 33 d postpartum (study 1) and at insemination and 28 and 80 d postinsemination as well as d 5 and 28 postpartum (study 2). Colostrum and milk samples in study 1 were obtained at 1, 9, and 33 d of lactation after oxytocin administration. Plasma 25-OH-D3 concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) in sows receiving 25-OH-D3 (HD and HYD) at any time of sampling whereas circulating plasma concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2-D3, Ca, and P were not affected by treatment. Milk concentrations of Ca and P were similar, but 25-OH-D3 content (except in colostrum) was clearly increased (P< 0.05) when 25-OH-D3 was fed. Most characteristics of sow reproductive performance responded similarly to the 2 sources and levels of vitamin D3, but weight gain of piglets between birth and weaning was decreased (P< 0.05) in offspring of DL and HD sows compared with animals of treatment DN (study 1). In study 2 total litter weight and birth weight per piglet were increased (P< 0.05) with 25-OH-D3 supplementation in comparison with the control (CON). Overall, feeding sows with 25-OH-D3 was considered to improve maternal supply with vitamin D3 and thereby maintain Ca homeostasis during gestation and lactation.

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation on sow performance: II. Subsequent growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing pigs1,2

“…Interestingly, in the study herein, maternal vitamin D influenced postweaning growth but not in the way that we had hypothesized on the basis of previous conclusions drawn from Hines et al (2013) and Weber et al (2014). In the current study, it appeared that the only consistent impact on growth performance was that pigs from sows fed 2,000 IU of vitamin D 3 /kg had increased ADG and ADFI in the nursery and improved ADG and G:F in finishing.…”

“…These alterations would suggest the potential for increased postnatal growth performance. Weber et al (2014) observed increases in piglet BW at birth and weaning in piglets from dams supplemented 50 µg of 25(OH)D 3 /kg compared with piglets from dams supplemented 2,000 IU of vitamin D 3 /kg. However, no previous research has evaluated whether pigs from dams supplemented varying forms or concentrations of vitamin D have improved postnatal growth after weaning or the impacts of maternal vitamin D on carcass characteristics.…”

“…The maternal and nursery vitamin D treatment impacts on growing pig serum 25(OH)D 3 in this study were largely expected. Most previous reports (Lauridsen et al, 2010;Witschi et al, 2011;Coffey et al, 2012;Weber et al, 2014) have all shown that supplementation of 25(OH)D 3 at the same IU equivalency of vitamin D 3 will result in an increased serum 25(OH) D 3 response. Also, increasing maternal vitamin D 3 supplementation has been shown to lead to an increase in subsequent pig serum 25(OH)D 3 (Flohr et al, 2014a), which is consistent with results from the current study.…”

Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation: I. Sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, and neonatal muscle characteristics1,2

“…This suggests that a portion of the vitamin D 3 that is absorbed may be stored in adipose tissue rather than being transported to the liver for hydroxylation. The serum 25(OH) D 3 concentrations achieved in gestation from supplementing 25(OH)D 3 were less than those in the reports of previous researchers (Lauridsen et al, 2010;Coffey et al, 2012;Weber et al, 2014); this may be due to the time of sampling and duration of feeding, which Weber et al (2014) 1 In total 112 sows and litters were used to determine the effects of supplemental vitamin D from varying levels of vitamin D 3 or from synthetic 25(OH) D 3 on maternal performance, subsequent pig performance, sow and piglet serum vitamin metabolites, neonatal bone mineralization, and piglet muscle development. Means represent the average serum metabolite from 48 randomly selected litters (2 pigs per litter were bled for serum analysis) within treatments, and the same litters within each day were analyzed.…”

“…Prior to receiving their daily meal, sows were bled on d 0 and 30 of the trial via jugular venipuncture to collect serum for 25(OH)D 3 analysis. Results from this study were then used to develop a prediction equation to determine the dietary vitamin D 3 concentration needed to achieve a serum 25(OH)D 3 response in gestating sows similar to levels previously reported in the literature (Weber et al, 2014) for females fed 50 µg of 25(OH)D 3 /kg of complete diet as their sole source of vitamin D.…”