ALTERNATIVES TO SURGICAL CASTRATION OF PIGS

M. Čandek-Potokar, N. Batorek Lukač

Abstract: Castration or gonadectomy is a surgical procedure performed on male pigs in which testis and epididymis are physically removed from scrotal sack, without anaesthesia or analgesia, in the first days of life, mainly to get calmer and fatter pigs that do not exhibit boar taint and to prevent sexual behaviour in group housing. Although generally used, this form of castration has been recently criticized as being painful for the piglets and may be considered even unnecessary in modern pig production with the emergence of new, alternative techniques, especially if pigs are raised for meat consumption where raising entire males would be more efficient. Thus, taking into account the welfare as well as the economic aspects it has been decided at the level of the European Union that pig producers will voluntary stop castrating until 2018. At the same time, intensive research of alternative methods to surgical castration, diagnostic methods for boar taint analysis and harmonization of analytical methods is being supported. This publication presents alternative methods to surgical castration of piglets without anesthesia or analgesia – their mode of action and the positive and the negative aspects of their application. According to current indications the most promising alternatives are immunocastration, surgical castration with analgesia or anesthesia, rearing of entire males, genetic selection on the reduced boar taint and seamen sorting technique and subsequently rearing of exclusively female offspring. The latter two methods are long-term, sustainable and animal welfare friendly, whereas the remaining three alternatives are suitable for immediate introduction into practice. It seems that for fresh meat consumption rearing of entire males will be practiced, whereas immunocastration remains a good alternative in the case of fattening to a greater weight.

Keywords: castration; entire males; immunocastration; pig; welfare

Date published: 2017-03-16