Entire Male Pigs

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Objectives
   2. Learning goals
   3. Teacher page
2. Entire Male Pigs
3. Castration of male pigs
   1. Statistics
4. Legislation and enforcement
5. Origin of boar taint
   1. Androstenone
   2. Skatole
6. Reasons for castration
   1. Increase the proportion of fat
   2. Increase consumer acceptance
   3. Reduce aggression
   4. Prevent unplanned breeding
7. Surgical castration
   1. Traditional surgical castration
   2. Anaesthesia combined with castration
   3. Gas analgesics
8. Problems related to surgical castration
   1. Animal welfare
   2. Pain and behaviour - the acute response
   3. Reduced growth rate and changed behaviour after surgery
   4. Health consequences
   5. Effect of age
   6. Consumer awareness
   7. Labour cost
9. Alternatives to castration
   1. Slaughter at lower weight
   2. On-line sorting
   3. Management
   4. Breeding and sperm sexing
   5. Perceptual masking of boar taint
   6. Immunocastration
   7. Immunocastration - physiology
   8. Immunocastration - practical implications
10. Completion
    1. Comments
    2. Self-assessment
    3. Key messages
    4. Further reading
    5. Evaluation
11. Acknowledgement

Objectives

This learning resource provides information on the castration of piglets and the origin of boar taint and enables you to critically evaluate how castration and alternatives to castration can influence the welfare of pigs and the meat quality.

For employees in industry (5 notional study hours; 1/4 ECTS):

• View the videos and read the information about the different methodologies for the castration of piglets.
• Read the information about the problems related to castration and about the production of entire male pigs.
• Summarize your thoughts on what you have learnt from the text and videos and comment on the practical implications in your organization. Post your summary on the Comments page.
• Do the self-assessment.
• Read the key messages.

For students in higher education (20 notional study hours; 1 ECTS):

• View the videos and read the information about the different methodologies for the castration of piglets.
• Read the information about the problems related to castration and about the production of entire male pigs.
• Read the EFSA-report on the welfare aspects of the castration of piglets.
• Write an article to a pig production magazine and post it on the Comments page. The article should in 300 words summarize your opinions on the castration of piglets in the light of what you have learnt.
• Add at least five new definitions in our wiki (on the platform).
• Do the self-assessment.
• Read the key messages.