Piglet castration and alternatives - SUMMARY & SCIENTIFIC REVIEW

Most male pigs around the world are surgically castrated, often without any pain relief. The main reason for castration is to prevent boar taint, the undesirable odour or taste in pork which arises from chemicals produced by sexually mature males. Castration also reduces aggression and sexual behaviours in male pigs which cause injury and affect welfare later in life.

Surgical castration is highly painful, and the pain lasts for days after the procedure. While pain relief can be provided to some extent with the use of anaesthesia and analgesia, it is not completely effective and carries additional costs for the producer. Two main alternatives exist to surgical castration in pigs: rearing entire males and vaccination to delay puberty.