Effects of supplemental vitamin D3 on serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and growth of preweaning and nursery pigs1,2

Abstract

Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of varying concentrations of supplemental vitamin D3 on pig growth, feed preference, serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3] , and bone mineralization of nursing and weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, 270 pigs (1.71 ± 0.01 kg BW) were administered 1 of 3 oral vitamin D3 dosages (none, 40,000, or 80,000 IU vitamin D3) on d 1 or 2 of age. Increasing oral vitamin D3 increased serum 25(OH)D3 on d 10 and 20 (quadratic, P < 0.01) and d 30 (linear, P < 0.01). No differences were observed in ADG before weaning or for nursery ADG, ADFI, or G:F. Vitamin D3 concentration had no effect on bone ash concentration or bone histological traits evaluated on d 19 or 35. In Exp. 2, 398 barrows (initially 7 d of age) were used in a 2 × 2 split plot design to determine the influence of vitamin D3 before (none or 40,000 IU vitamin D3 in an oral dose) or after weaning (1,378 or 13,780 IU vitamin D3/kg in nursery diets from d 21 to 31 of age) in a 45-d trial. Before weaning (7 to 21 d of age), oral vitamin D3 dose did not influence growth but increased (P < 0.01) serum 25(OH)D3 at weaning (d 21) and tended (P = 0.08) to increase 25(OH)D3 on d 31. Increasing dietary vitamin D3 concentration from d 21 to 31 increased (P < 0.01) serum 25(OH)D3 on d 31. Neither the oral vitamin D3 dose nor nursery vitamin D3 supplements influenced nursery ADG, ADFI, or G:F. In Exp. 3, 864 pigs (initially 21 d of age) were allotted to 1 of 2 water solubilized vitamin D3 treatments (none or 16,516 IU/L vitamin D3 provided in the drinking water from d 0 to 10) in a 30-d study. Providing vitamin D3 increased serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations on d 10, 20, and 30; however, vitamin D3 supplementation did not affect overall (d 0 to 30) ADG, ADFI, or G:F. In Exp. 4, 72 pigs were used in a feed preference study consisting of 2 feed preference comparisons. Pigs did not differentiate diets containing either 1,378 or 13,780 IU vitamin D3/kg but consumed less (P < 0.01) of a diet containing 44,100 IU vitamin D3/kg compared with the diet containing 1,378 IU vitamin D3/kg. Overall, these studies demonstrate that supplementing vitamin D3 above basal concentrations used in these studies is effective at increasing circulating 25(OH)D3, but the supplement did not influence growth or bone mineralization. Also, concentrations of vitamin D3 of 44,100 IU/kg of the diet may negatively affect feed preference of nursery pigs.

The Effects of Fat-soluble Vitamin Administration on Plasma Vitamin Status of Nursing Pigs Differ When Provided by Oral Administration or Injection

“…These results again agree with some recent research (Flohr et al, 2014a). Rortvedt et al (2012) also reported no improvement of ADG for 35 d after weaning in pigs administered a single oral mega-dose of vitamin D 3 (40,000 IU) at birth (0.38 kg/d) compared with control pigs (0.41 kg/d).…”

“…3, the water supplementation of vitamin D 3 and E increased plasma 25-OH D 3 and α-tocopherol concentrations which mean supplementation of vitamins via drinking water to nursery pigs is an effective method to enhance plasma status of vitamins. This result agreed with a previous study which reported the water supplementation of vitamin D 3 to nursery pigs from weaning for 10 d elevated serum 25-OH D 3 concentration on d 10 postweaning (Flohr et al, 2014a). For vitamin E status, Wilburn et al (2008) reported the water vitamin E supplementation increased plasma α-tocopherol concentration of weanling pigs.…”

“…1 and 2, the results, collectively, demonstrate that the vitamin D 3 status of pigs at weaning can be improved by administration of vitamin D 3 by a variety of methods and the results agree with those of recent studies (Rortvedt et al, 2012; Flohr et al, 2014a). However, plasma 25-OH D 3 and α-tocopherol concentrations declined from 10 d after administration to weaning in pigs from the injection and oral treatments, which agrees with Flohr et al (2014a). This result suggests that plasma values are presumably diluted with the increase in blood volume associated with the rapid growth of the pigs as well as utilized by, or deposited in, various tissues.…”

“…Several recent studies have been conducted to investigate vitamin D requirements and/or supplementation/administration to sows and piglets (Lauridsen et al, 2010; Witschi et al, 2011; Rortvedt et al, 2012; Flohr et al, 2014a). The supplementation of vitamin D to gestation and lactation diets at concentrations above NRC (1998) requirement was demonstrated to increase serum vitamin D concentration of sows (Lauridsen et al, 2010) and their progeny (Witschi et al, 2011).…”

“…The supplementation of vitamin D to gestation and lactation diets at concentrations above NRC (1998) requirement was demonstrated to increase serum vitamin D concentration of sows (Lauridsen et al, 2010) and their progeny (Witschi et al, 2011). Regarding vitamin D supplementation to piglets, when newborn pigs were supplemented with vitamin D 3 via oral administration at 40,000 or 80,000 IU of vitamin D 3 , higher serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH D 3 ) concentration was detected at weaning compared with pigs without vitamin D 3 administration (Flohr et al, 2014a). On the other hand, Goff et al (1984) suggested that the parenteral vitamin D 3 treatment to sows at d 20 prepartum by i.m.…”