New discoveries for injectable fat-soluble vitamins for sows and piglets

摘要

Fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are vital nutrients for all swine, although precise requirements for all segments of production have not been clearly elucidated. Furthermore, the method of administration can dramatically alter vitamin status of swine.Injecting fat-soluble vitamins has been shown to be more efficiently utilized when compared to oral gavage or feed supplementation during critical times of production. Of the many metabolic functions of fat-soluble vitamins, immunity and muscle functionare two that can be dramatically improved by injecting fat-soluble vitamins. Sows and gilts benefit from injections of fat-soluble vitamins pre-partum and pre-breeding. Pigs are born deficient in fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E and largely depend on colostrum and milk for adequate vitamin A and E needs provided the gestating gilt or sow has received optimum vitamin quantities in the gestating diet. Injection of fat-soluble vitamins at processing dramatically improves status of nursing pigs; especiallyvitamin D since it is poorly transferred in colostrum and milk. After weaning, vitamin E status drops dramatically due to the inability of pigs to utilize vitamin E-acetate regardless of level of vitamin E-acetate in nursery diets. Supplementing water with micellized, non-esterified vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) assists in maintaining adequate vitamin E status of the post-weaned pig.1 Lin-demann et al. 2012 and Stuart et al., 2015, reviewed surveys of vitamin status during stages of production.