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

Castration of male pigs

According to current EU rules, piglets may be castrated without anaesthesia within the first week of life. Recommended instruments are ascalpel or sharp castration forceps and scissors.

Piglets can be held firmly head-down between the legs of the operator, held on a flat bench, restrained in a v-trough or in a commercial device. However, restraint of the piglet is recommended, to leave both hands free.

The spermatic cords may not be torn, but must be cut well below the testicles, although some variations exist in the methods that are used. Before making the incision, the instruments and the skin area should be disinfected (Christiansen, 2004).

Castration of young piglets is performed very rapidly and the process, including the time for catching the animal, may take less than 30 seconds (Prunier et al., 2006).

Routinely performed surgical castration of piglets. Source: Johanna Zingmark.