Immunological castration of swine improves performance, cutting yields and leanness

Meat market requires high nutritional value products with low fat content, suitable tenderness and attractiveness to the most selective consumers. The challenge also includes meat production within the ethical principles of animal welfare at an affordable price and a profitable return. An immunocastrated pig is a boar immunized against gonadotrophin-releasing factor (GnRF). This practice is an important available technology to achieve these goals. Both surgical castration and immunocastration are necessary practices to control boar taint in pork, which is highly undesirable to consumers and caused mainly by androstenone pheromone and skatole (MEIER-DINKEL et al., 2013). Surgical castration has recently been questioned by both governmental authorities and animal welfare groups, because castration is practiced without anesthesia, which is potentially painful for piglets (AASLYNG et al., 2016). Immunization against GnRF inhibits testicular function, improves growth and carcass quality, and additionally reduces stress compared to surgical castration (RIKARD-BELL et al., 2009). Despite the positive effect of immunocastration, the cost of this technology includes investment and training handlers.