Decrease farrowing time in pigs

In the last decade, the average litter size has markedly increased. However, the number of piglets weaned per sow per year did not show the same trend. This is partly due to the longer farrowing time which increases with litter size. Supporting muscle contractions of the sow during farrowing (uterus, pelvic muscle) decreases farrowing time and increases piglet vitality even in large litters.

Larger litters have increased piglet mortality, which is an animal welfare concern with economic impact. Therefore, sow breeding programs are increasing their focus on litter homogeneity and piglet viability. Besides, management and nutrition of these sows need to be adapted to support them in successfully delivering and rearing large litters. Decreasing farrowing time is a good way to reduce early piglet mortality and allow the full litter access to colostrum, which increases the chances of piglets’ survival during their first weeks of life.

Vitamin D3 needs to conversion steps to become metabolically active. The first step happens in the liver, where vitamin D3 is converted to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH). 25(OH) is the storage form of vitamin D3 and gives a good indication on the vitamin D3 status of the animal. The second activation step happens in the kidney, where the 25(OH) is converted into 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D3). 1,25(OH)2D3 then interacts with the vitamin D3 receptor (VDR), which is – among others – located in the gut cells. There, 1,25(OH)2D3 increases the expression of Calbindin, a Ca-binding protein in the cell that transports the Ca from the gut to the blood. When providing Panbonis®, which naturally contains 1,25(OH)2D3-gly, only the glycosides need to be cleaved by endogenous enzymes and the free 1,25(OH)2D3 can be absorbed and is directly available at the site of Ca-absorption.