scholarly journals Pros and Cons of Alternatives to Piglet Castration: Welfare, Boar Taint, and Other Meat Quality Traits

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonneau ◽  
Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Carcass Quality ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Feed Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Entire Male

This paper reviews the pros and cons of various alternatives to the surgical castration of male piglets without pain relief. Castration is mostly motivated by the presence of boar taint in the meat from some entire male pigs. It results in pain during surgery and markedly increases feed costs and the fat content of the carcass. Raising entire male pigs avoids pain at castration, but animals can suffer from increased stress during the finishing period because of aggressive and mounting behavior. Feed efficiency and carcass quality are much better than in surgical castrates. The quality of meat from entire male pigs is lower because of boar taint, a reduced intramuscular fat content, and increased unsaturation of the fat. Immunocastration prevents boar taint, pain associated with surgery, and stress related to aggressive and mounting behavior. Feed efficiency and carcass quality are intermediate between surgical castrates and entire males. Meat quality is similar to surgical castrates. Anesthesia alone prevents pain during surgery, but not after, while analgesia alone mitigates pain after surgery, but not during it. With the currently available methods, the cost of combined anesthesia and analgesia is too high for conventional production systems in most countries.

Effects of extending the grazing season in beef production systems

2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 116-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.J. O’Neill ◽  
M.J. Drennan ◽  
P.J. Caffrey
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Rural Environment ◽  
Environment Protection ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Grazing Season ◽  
Protection Scheme ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Feed Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Eu Support

The cost of grazed grass is less than half that of grass silage (O’Kiely, 1994) and incomes from beef production are low and largely dependent on EU support schemes. Thus the income from beef production could be incresed by reducing feed costs through increasing the proportion of grazed grass in the diet and optimising the use of the various support schemes. The objective of this two-year study was to examine the effects on the performance of yearling cattle of turnout to pasture three weeks earlier than normal. This was examined within two suckler beef production systems. One was a standard system similar to that outlined by Drennan (1993) and the second was compatible with the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS).

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

Review: Production and consumption of pork meat with different levels of boar taint / Revisión: Producción y consumo de carne de cerdo con diferentes niveles de olor sexual

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 367-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Font i Furnols ◽  
M.A. Oliver
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Consumer Response ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Carcass Quality ◽  
Pork Meat ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Main Technique ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Entire Male

Boar taint or sexual odor is a sensorial defect (a disagreeable smell) that occurs in some meat from entire male pigs. The main compounds responsible are androstenone and skatole stored in the fat of the animal. The main technique for reducing the androstenone level in the meat is by castration, either surgically or by immunocastration. Recent studies in the field of immunocastration appear to provide a solution to the androstenone problem by reducing the levels of this substance while taking advantage of the yield and carcass quality of entire male pigs. The quantity of skatole is mainly affected by the diet and handling of the pigs. The consumer decides whether to accept or reject the meat from male pigs according to the presence or absence of boar taint. However, variations in the consumer response depending on country, preparation and type of product consumed, as well as the individual's sensitivity to sexual odor, can be observed by looking at different works. According to some of these studies, UK, Irish, Canadian and US consumers will more readily accept meat from entire male pigs than consumers from France, Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain.

The influence of system of production on the performance and meat quality of entire, castrated and female lambs

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 48-48
Author(s):  
G. M. Webster ◽  
Gillian A. Masters ◽  
Jennifer M. L. Anderson ◽  
M. Ellis ◽  
P. J. Avery
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Sheep Industry ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Contributory Factors ◽  
Incomplete Factorial Design ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Entire Male

The purpose of this experiment was to quantify the seasonal variations in lamb meat quality and identify the contributory factors associated with the various production systems used in the UK. The approach taken was therefore largely a systems one, with the various production systems used in the project mimicking those typical of the British sheep industry supplying lambs onto the market from April to January.Material and methods 504 spring-born lambs [equal numbers of entire male (E), castrated male (C) and female (F)] which were the twin-reared progeny of Mule ewes (Bluefaced Leicester x Swaledale) and Suffolk rams were allocated to one of 7 finishing systems (n=72 per system). These were combinations of 4 diets and 4 slaughter periods (at 2 monthly intervals between June 1992 and January 1993) in an incomplete factorial design: concentrates (CS1), grass (GRI, GR2), silage (SL2, SL3) and roots (RT3, RT4); all but the grass diet were fed indoors.

Evaluation of piemontese-cross friesian steers and heifers on silage-based diets

1992 ◽  
Vol 1992 ◽  
pp. 194-194
Author(s):  
M.H. Davies ◽  
H.F. Grundy ◽  
S. Page
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Meat Yield

The Piemontese breed is reputed to produce high quality carcasses, but its potential in U.K. beef production systems is unknown. Data from the United States on crossbred progeny (Cundiff et al., 1990) and from Italy on both pure breeds (La Carne Bovina, 1988) and crossbreds (Gigli et al., 1990) shown the Piemontese to be a light boned, low fat, high meat yield breed with a high dressing out proportion. Furthermore the meat quality data show that it produced the most tender meat of all breeds tested and this was achieved at a low marbling fat content. This trial compares the performance of Piemontese x Friesian and Charolais x Friesian steers and heifers when fed on an indoor silage beef system. The meat quality characteristics of the carcasses produced are reported elsewhere (Fisher et al., 1992).

Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

1998 ◽  
Vol 1998 ◽  
pp. 45-45
Author(s):  
R.M. Herd ◽  
J.A. Archer ◽  
P.F. Arthur ◽  
E.C. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Feed Efficiency ◽  
Genetic Improvement ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Growth Efficiency ◽  
Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion Ratio ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Animal Production Systems

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.

scholarly journals Effect of feeding fermentable fibre-rich feedstuffs on meat quality with emphasis on chemical and sensory boar taint in entire male and female pigs

Meat Science ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1165-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurits Lydehøj Hansen ◽  
Sandra Stolzenbach ◽  
Jens Askov Jensen ◽  
Poul Henckel ◽  
Jens Hansen-Møller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Effect Of Feeding ◽  
Entire Male

scholarly journals Sexual maturity as risk for development of deviant behaviours in pig production systems with entire males

2021 ◽  
pp. 12-12
Author(s):  
Dimitar Nakov ◽  
Metodija Trajchev ◽  
Slavca Hristov ◽  
Branislav Stankovic ◽  
Marko Cincovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Risk ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Sickness Behaviour ◽  
Welfare Implications ◽  
Entire Male

Male piglets are castrated primarily to avoid the unpleasant boar taint in meat, and additionally for the predisposition of castrates to accumulate fat and for their lower risk of developing unwanted behaviours. There are two main strategies available for withdrawing from surgical castration: one is immunocastration and the other is to raise entire male pigs or boars. Additionally, raising intact boars is more profitable because of the production of carcasses with lean meat and better feed conversion. Boars (compared to castrates) exhibit more aggressive, sexual, damaging social behaviour and reduced feeding behaviour with a lower prevalence of sickness behaviour as a result of good health and low susceptibility to chronic inflammation. In this review, the behaviours specific for boars as a result of sexual maturity are reviewed, with an overview of differences in the behaviour of surgically castrated barrows, immunocastrates and boars reared in group-housed systems. The raising of boars allows for good welfare of these animals in early life, but later, on reaching sexual maturity, the welfare of boars can be diminished because of their propensity to aggression and more mounting behaviour than castrates. Innovations in the breeding and management of boars are needed to improve their performance and to reduce welfare implications of these animals raised in social groups, and in particular to minimize deviant behaviours towards pen mates.

scholarly journals Characterisation of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from pig liver and testis in relation to boar taint

2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 ◽  
pp. 106-106
Author(s):  
S. I. Nicolau-Solano ◽  
F. M. Whittington ◽  
J. D. Wood ◽  
E. Doran
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽  
Boar Taint ◽  
Pig Liver ◽  
Entire Male ◽  
Low Rate ◽  
Excessive Accumulation

Boar taint is a major meat quality defect, which affects about 10% of entire male pigs. It is due to an excessive accumulation of skatole and androstenone in adipose tissue. One of the reasons for accumulation of these compounds is a low rate of their metabolism. Androstenone is metabolised in liver via the enzyme 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD). This enzyme is well characterised in the testis, where it participates in the synthesis of steroids, while its properties in liver are unknown. The aim of the present study was to characterise and compare properties of HSD from pig liver versus pig testis when metabolising androstenone.

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