Dietary 25(OH)D3 supplementation to gestating and lactating sows and their progeny affects growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood profiles and myogenic regulatory factor-related gene expression in wean-finish pigs

This experiment investigated the effects of supplementing vitamin D3-fortified sow and progeny diets with 25(OH)D3 on growth performance, carcass characteristics, immunity, and pork meat quality. The present study involved the assessment of supplementing the diet of sows and their progeny with or without 25 (OH)D3 in a 2×2 factorial arrangement on the performance and production characteristics of wean-finish pigs. Forty-eight multiparous sows were assigned to a basal diet containing 2000 IU/kg vitamin D3 and supplemented without (CON) or with (TRT) 50 μg/kg 25 (OH)D3. At weaning, a total of 80 pigs each from CON and TRT sows were allocated to weaning and growing-finishing basal diets fortified with 2,500 and 1,750 IU/kg vitamin D3 respectively and supplemented without or with 50 μg/kg 25(OH)D3. Sows fed 25(OH)D3-supplemented diets improved pre-weaning growth rate of nursing piglets. A significant sow and pig weaning diet effect was observed for growth rate and feed efficiency (p