Evaluating seasonal serum vitamin d levels and growth performance in pigs from organic farms

Šteferl, Tim (author), Hajdinjak, Melita (author), Nadlučnik, Eva (author), Golinar, Irena (author), Štukelj, Marina (author), Podpečan, Ožbalt (author)

Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient in pig production as it plays an important role in many physiological functions. The aim of this study was to determine serum vitamin D concentration and growth performance in pigs reared on organic farms in different seasons. A total of 109 Krškopolje pigs were selected for this study. Pigs were divided into three groups: low altitude outdoor group A (N = 39), high altitude outdoor group B (N = 36) and indoor group C (N = 34). Blood samples and body weights were collected seasonally in 2022 and 2023. Serum vitamin D levels peaked in summer for outdoor groups A (69.3 ±2.6 ng/ml) and B (65.3 ±4.4 ng/ml) and were the lowest in winter (group A 21.5 ±2.2, group B 35.2 ±2.5). Altitude had no significant effect on vitamin D levels except in winter (p<0.001). Housing type significantly influenced vitamin D levels in every season between groups B and C, and in spring, summer, and autumn between groups A and C. Pigs in the outdoor group A showed higher average final body weights (151.2 ±7.5 kg in 2022 and 146.8 ±3.8 kg in 2023) than those in group C (132.7 ±11.3 kg and 118.5 ±6.9 kg), though this should be interpreted cautiously given variability in initial weights.

• Language: English
• Keywords: vitamin D, serum concentrations, pigs welfare, organic farm, growth performance
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 145-155
• Numbering: Vol. 62, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185475
• UDC: 636.09:616
• ISSN on article: 2385-8761
• DOI: 10.26873/SVR-2202-2025
• COBISS.SI-ID: 255874563
• Publication date in RUL: 06.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Slovenian veterinary research
• Publisher: Veterinarska fakulteta, Veterinarska fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2385-8761
• COBISS.SI-ID: 275836160

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ocena sezonskih ravni vitamina D v serumu in rastne zmogljivosti pri prašičih z ekoloških kmetij