Abstract: Avoiding Castration Through Social Management

Type and Average of Pigs on the Farm

The farm maintains 1,200 sows, 5,000 weaners and 10,000 grower-finishers.

Farming System

Intensive production system.

Description and Evaluation of the Good Practice

This farm has avoided surgical castration for several decades by managing entire males through early separation by sex and body size at weaning, maintaining stable groups throughout rearing and fattening. This strategy supports uniform growth, improves average daily gain and feed efficiency, and allows the marketing of homogeneous batches. Entire males are finished at approximately 110 kg and around 155 days of age without market rejection or detection of boar taint. Mounting behaviour remains below 5%, as animals are slaughtered at an early age before sexual and aggressive behaviours typically increase. Occasional aggressive behaviour towards the end of the finishing period is managed through removal or early sale of affected animals.

Farm Context

• Pigs Final weight: 110 kg; slaughter age: approximately 155 days. No formal labelling system applied.

• Housing and Management Characteristics Floor type: concrete slats. Feeding: commercial feed. Number of sows per batch: 48.

• Management Practices Stop castration (entire male). Implemented by the farmer using the standard farm workforce, with no additional labour required. Mounting behaviour: below 5%; early slaughter age limits the expression of behavioural issues. Animals monitored routinely; standard management practices applied if signs of discomfort or stress are observed.

Economic Analysis

The farmer reports improved technical performance including higher average daily gain, improved feed conversion ratio and leaner carcasses. Mortality rates are comparable between females and entire males. Avoiding castration eliminates all associated costs including labour, analgesia and veterinary interventions. Under the current system, the absence of castration has not resulted in any economic penalties linked to carcass quality or market acceptance.

Environmental Analysis

Improved feed efficiency and a relatively early slaughter age contribute to a reduced environmental impact per animal, including lower overall feed consumption and indirect reductions in ammonia emissions and water use. No changes to manure management were required following implementation.

Replicable Benefits and Relevance for Other EU Countries

This good practice is highly transferable in production contexts where market acceptance of entire males is established. Key success factors are early separation by sex and size, stable social groups throughout production, and timely management of behavioural issues. The practice requires no additional investment and can be implemented immediately. Replicability depends primarily on slaughter age, management capacity and acceptance by slaughterhouses and downstream markets.