DanBred

…Alexandra Esteves, This study involved 30 male pigs (DanBred × Duroc), which were divided into three groups Severiano R. Silva and of 10 animals each. Control group (C)—immunologically castrated boars with a…

…Alexandra Esteves, This study involved 30 male pigs (DanBred × Duroc), which were divided into three groups Severiano R. Silva and of 10 animals each. Control group (C)—immunologically castrated boars with a…

ct of piglet birth weight, birth order, and litter size on subsequent growth performance, Competing interests carcass quality, muscle composition, and eating quality of pork. J Anim Sci. AD and NW are employees from the company sponsor. 2010;88:2767–78. 20. Fix JS, Cassady JP, Holl JW, Herring WO, Cusbertson MS, See MT. Effect of piglets birth weight on survival and quality of commercial market swine. Publisher’s Note Livest Sci. 2010;132:98–106. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in 21. Bérard J, Kreuzer M, Bee G. Effect of litter size and birth weight on growth, published maps and institutional affiliations. carcass and pork quality, and their relationship to postmortem proteolysis. J Anim Sci. 2008;86:2357–68. Author details 1 PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L. c, Santa Catalina, 10, Segovia, Spain. 2Zoetis Inc, Hoge Wei 10, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. 3Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland. Received: 12 April 2017 Accepted: 7 July 2017 References 1. Bonneau M. Use of entire males for pig meat in the European Union. Meat Sci. 1998;49:S257–72. 2. Zamaratskaia G, Squires EJ. Biochemical, nutritional and genetic effects on boar taint in entire male pigs. Animal. 2009;3:1508–21.

ct of piglet birth weight, birth order, and litter size on subsequent growth performance, Competing interests carcass quality, muscle composition, and eating quality of pork. J Anim Sci. AD and NW are employees from the company sponsor. 2010;88:2767–78. 20. Fix JS, Cassady JP, Holl JW, Herring WO, Cusbertson MS, See MT. Effect of piglets birth weight on survival and quality of commercial market swine. Publisher’s Note Livest Sci. 2010;132:98–106. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in 21. Bérard J, Kreuzer M, Bee G. Effect of litter size and birth weight on growth, published maps and institutional affiliations. carcass and pork quality, and their relationship to postmortem proteolysis. J Anim Sci. 2008;86:2357–68. Author details 1 PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L. c, Santa Catalina, 10, Segovia, Spain. 2Zoetis Inc, Hoge Wei 10, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. 3Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland. Received: 12 April 2017 Accepted: 7 July 2017 References 1. Bonneau M. Use of entire males for pig meat in the European Union. Meat Sci. 1998;49:S257–72. 2. Zamaratskaia G, Squires EJ. Biochemical, nutritional and genetic effects on boar taint in entire male pigs. Animal. 2009;3:1508–21.

Nautrup B P, Vlaenderen I V, Aldaz A and Mah C K 2018 The effect of immunization against gonadotropin-releasing factor on growth performance, carcass characteristics and boar taint relevant to pig producers and the pork packing industry: A meta-analysis - ScienceDirect. Res. Vet. Sci. 119 182–95 [19] Reiter S, Zöls S, Ritzmann M, Stefanski V and Weiler U 2017 Penile Injuries in Immunocastrated and Entire Male Pigs of One Fattening Farm Animals 7 [20] Rydhmer L, Zamaratskaia G, Andersson H K, Algers B, Guillemet R and Lundström K 2006 Aggressive and sexual behaviour of growing and finishing pigs reared in groups, without castration Acta. Agr. Scand. A. An. 56 109–19 [21] Weiler U, Isernhagen M, Stefanski V, Ritzmann M, Kress K, Hein C and Zöls S 2016 Penile Injuries in Wild and Domestic Pigs Animals 6 25 [22] Lundström K, Matthews K R and Haugen J E 2009 Pig meat quality from entire males Animal 3 1497–1507 [23] Walstra P, Claudi-Magnussen C, Chevillon P, von Seth G, Diestre A, Matthews K R, Homer D B and Bonneau M 1999 An international study on the importance of androstenone and skatole for boar taint: levels of androstenone and skatole by country and season Lives. Pro. Sci. 62 15–28 [24] Wesoly R and Weiler U 2012 Nutritional Influences on Skatole Formation and Skatole Metabolism in the Pig Animals 2 221–242 [25] Zamaratskaia G and Rasmussen M K 2018 Is it possible to reduce androstenone by dietary means Advances in Animal Biosciences 9 (s1) (Proceedings of meetings held by the Cost action CA15215 IPEMA, November 2018) p 22 [26] Larzul C, Fontanesi L, Tholen E and van Son M 2018 Genetic approaches for rearing entire males Adv. Anim. Biosci. 9 (s1) (Proceedings of meetings held by the Cost action CA15215 IPEMA, November 2018) p 01 [27] Mining Schiavo G,

ct of piglet birth weight, birth order, and litter size on subsequent growth performance, Competing interests carcass quality, muscle composition, and eating quality of pork. J Anim Sci. AD and NW are employees from the company sponsor. 2010;88:2767–78. 20. Fix JS, Cassady JP, Holl JW, Herring WO, Cusbertson MS, See MT. Effect of piglets birth weight on survival and quality of commercial market swine. Publisher’s Note Livest Sci. 2010;132:98–106. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in 21. Bérard J, Kreuzer M, Bee G. Effect of litter size and birth weight on growth, published maps and institutional affiliations. carcass and pork quality, and their relationship to postmortem proteolysis. J Anim Sci. 2008;86:2357–68. Author details 1 PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L. c, Santa Catalina, 10, Segovia, Spain. 2Zoetis Inc, Hoge Wei 10, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. 3Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland. Received: 12 April 2017 Accepted: 7 July 2017 References 1. Bonneau M. Use of entire males for pig meat in the European Union. Meat Sci. 1998;49:S257–72. 2. Zamaratskaia G, Squires EJ. Biochemical, nutritional and genetic effects on boar taint in entire male pigs. Animal. 2009;3:1508–21.

ct of piglet birth weight, birth order, and litter size on subsequent growth performance, Competing interests carcass quality, muscle composition, and eating quality of pork. J Anim Sci. AD and NW are employees from the company sponsor. 2010;88:2767–78. 20. Fix JS, Cassady JP, Holl JW, Herring WO, Cusbertson MS, See MT. Effect of piglets birth weight on survival and quality of commercial market swine. Publisher’s Note Livest Sci. 2010;132:98–106. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in 21. Bérard J, Kreuzer M, Bee G. Effect of litter size and birth weight on growth, published maps and institutional affiliations. carcass and pork quality, and their relationship to postmortem proteolysis. J Anim Sci. 2008;86:2357–68. Author details 1 PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L. c, Santa Catalina, 10, Segovia, Spain. 2Zoetis Inc, Hoge Wei 10, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium. 3Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland. Received: 12 April 2017 Accepted: 7 July 2017 References 1. Bonneau M. Use of entire males for pig meat in the European Union. Meat Sci. 1998;49:S257–72. 2. Zamaratskaia G, Squires EJ. Biochemical, nutritional and genetic effects on boar taint in entire male pigs. Animal. 2009;3:1508–21.

rk and to reduce male specific behaviour, farmers have traditionally castrated their male piglets surgically and the procedure is still common in most countries. As this has usually been done without any pain relief, this measure faces strong public criticism. European stakeholders committed themselves to end this practice from 2018, but today, 75% of male piglets are still surgically castrated in the EU. Pain relief during and/or after surgery is increasingly used in some Western European countries to avoid suffering of the animals, but the surgery and risk of infections remain. Alternatives without surgical castration in pork production are raising entire males or immunocastration. Entire males have the advantage of a high growth potential and a good feed conversion rate, but the risk of boar taint and welfare problems due to male behavior limit the acceptance by the pork chain. Immunocastration reduces these problems but also decreases, in part, the anabolic advantage of males. To find country-specific, tailored solutions, there is a need to bundle the research activities along the pork chain and to spread scientific information to increase the acceptance of alternatives by farmers, industry and consumers. 1. Introduction For a very long time, farmers have been castrating their male piglets surgically without any pain relief. The practice is still common in most countries, but it is increasingly facing strong criticism because of the pain associated with the surgery. The suffering incurred by the animal during the surgical process and the following days has been well documented during the last 15 years. In 2010, European stakeholders had already committed themselves to end this practice and to develop pork production systems by 2018 that are independent of surgical

cing animals except and leg health in fattening pigs (Falke et al., 2018). The the broilers. Pigs can utilize a wide variety of feedstuffs viz. floors in modern pig pens often consist of concrete, which grains, forages, damaged feeds, and garbage and convert is harsh and abrasive for sensitive feet and legs. (Olsson them into valuable nutritious meat. Pigs are one of the most et al., 2016). Ulcerative skin lesions can develop in many prolific breeders with high fecundity and shorter generation regions, such as the limbs, tail, flank, udder, legs or ears by interval. They have high growth potential of reaching a hard floor and prolonged lying time (Kschonek et al., market weight at an early age under better management 2025). Heel bruising and main claw coronary band lesions conditions. Large White Yorkshire is a large sized and most were seen more frequently and at greater degrees severity extensively used exotic pig breed in India. Their body is in piglets kept on slatted plastic floors than in piglets kept solid white colored with erect ears, dished face and snout of on rubber mats with litter (Heimann et al., 2024). Pigs in medium length. An adult boar (male pig) weighs around 300 raised floors suffer from lameness and injuries while those to 400 kg and an adult sow weighs around 230 to 320 kg. Pig of deep floor suffer only from diarrhea (Tracy et al., 2018) farming requires a small investment on buildings, equipment In commercial pig production, pigs are mostly kept on a and for protection against diseases. Pigs are known for slatted, semi-slatted concrete or concrete floor. These floor their meat yield, which in terms of dressing percentage or types are advantageous in terms of durability, hygiene, and carcass yield ranges from 60 to 80%, which in comparison human