Boar taint is traditionally controlled by physical castration early in life, but animal welfare concerns are likely to lead to an end to the practice in Europe by 2018, and even apart from the welfare consideration there are major disadvantages in terms of animal health and productivity. Improvac represents an alternative to physical castration and … [Read more…]
The aim of this study was investigate the effect of castration on performance, carcass traits and meat quality of the terminal cross breed (BUxL)x(PnxH) and (BUxL)x(PnxD) on the organic system. From the results of the comparative study conducted under realistic conditions on a certified organic farm, it can be deduced that the trend of boar … [Read more…]
In most parts of the world, male pigs that are destined for the market are physically castrated soon after birth in order to reduce the risk of boar taint. However, entire male pigs are more feed efficient and deposit less fat than barrows, particularly at heavy slaughter weights. A welfare– friendly alternative to physical castration … [Read more…]