Castration of male pigs is a long-held, proven practice. It is performed to avoid boar taint in the meat of sexually mature males as well as reduce aggression toward other pigs and people. Cheryl Day shares alternatives to physical castration, challenges, breeding selections and the regulatory environment.
Source: National Hog Farmer, September 2016, page 12.
For hog producers looking for different alternatives to physical castration, immunological castration (IC) may be the place to turn. In simple terms, IC is a protein compound that protects against off odor, but is not a hormone or growth promotant. Utilizing the pig’s own immune system, it creates the same effect as physical castration by managing the substance responsible for the unpleasant aromas in pork from male animals.
INSIGHTS: This area of swine production will likely come under public scrutiny at some time. It is good to be familiar with alternatives and determine which producers are ready to test them ahead of time.