Gabinete técnico Veterinario S.L.

…Swabs Agrobiotecnología (CSIC-Gobierno de were obtained before treatment (T0) and on days one (T1), 3 (T2) and 5 (T3) post-treatment, Navarra), Mutilva, 31192, Navarra, Spain; 3 EXOPOL S.L, San…

…Zaragoza-IIS), (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Veterinary Faculty of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain 3 Gabinete Técnico Veterinario S.L. C/ Isla conejera s/n. 50013 Zaragoza, Spain 4 Sydney School of Veterinary Science…

…50013 Zaragoza, Spain 3 Centro Clínico Veterinario, C/ Madre Genoveva Torres Morales, 8, 50006 Zaragoza, Spain 4 Gabinete técnico Veterinario S.L. C/ Isla conejera s/n. 50013 Zaragoza, Spain 5 Sydney…

ion according to normal farm practice This study aims to evaluate the clinical and productive between days 3 and 6 of life. In brief, piglets were re- effects of surgical castration with pain relief in the suck- strained by the farmer workers. Two vertical incisions ling period and to describe the different causes of mor- were made in the scrotum and the testes were removed tality associated with this surgical procedure. after tearing off the spermatic cord. After castration, a topical antibiotic was administered on the injury area Methods (oxytetracycline; Tenicol spray: MSD) for 5 s. Routine Animals, facilities and experimental design use of an antibiotic spray was used in this study in order This research was carried out at two one-site commer- to ensure optimal post-surgical recovering in the cas- cial swine herd farms, located in Segovia, Spain. Both trated group. farms were farrow-to-finish farms and were located in the same geographical area, had the same genetic lines Observations and measurements and feed provider and similar size (630 and 570 repro- A general physical examination was performed for all ductive sows in Farm 1 and Farm 2, respectively). The enrolled pigs on Study Day 0. Body weight was mea- experimental design was a randomized block design, in- sured from all piglets on Study Day 0 (3–6 days of age) cluding surgical castration as the main effect, resulting and at weaning (28 days of age), and average daily gain in two experimental treatment groups with surgically (ADG) in the study period was calculated. Daily general castrated males (CM) and male pigs kept as intact males health observations were carried out by the farm (IM). workers and ill or injured piglets were promptly exam- Any sows with a clinical history of high incidence of ined and

ion according to normal farm practice This study aims to evaluate the clinical and productive between days 3 and 6 of life. In brief, piglets were re- effects of surgical castration with pain relief in the suck- strained by the farmer workers. Two vertical incisions ling period and to describe the different causes of mor- were made in the scrotum and the testes were removed tality associated with this surgical procedure. after tearing off the spermatic cord. After castration, a topical antibiotic was administered on the injury area Methods (oxytetracycline; Tenicol spray: MSD) for 5 s. Routine Animals, facilities and experimental design use of an antibiotic spray was used in this study in order This research was carried out at two one-site commer- to ensure optimal post-surgical recovering in the cas- cial swine herd farms, located in Segovia, Spain. Both trated group. farms were farrow-to-finish farms and were located in the same geographical area, had the same genetic lines Observations and measurements and feed provider and similar size (630 and 570 repro- A general physical examination was performed for all ductive sows in Farm 1 and Farm 2, respectively). The enrolled pigs on Study Day 0. Body weight was mea- experimental design was a randomized block design, in- sured from all piglets on Study Day 0 (3–6 days of age) cluding surgical castration as the main effect, resulting and at weaning (28 days of age), and average daily gain in two experimental treatment groups with surgically (ADG) in the study period was calculated. Daily general castrated males (CM) and male pigs kept as intact males health observations were carried out by the farm (IM). workers and ill or injured piglets were promptly exam- Any sows with a clinical history of high incidence of ined and

ion according to normal farm practice This study aims to evaluate the clinical and productive between days 3 and 6 of life. In brief, piglets were re- effects of surgical castration with pain relief in the suck- strained by the farmer workers. Two vertical incisions ling period and to describe the different causes of mor- were made in the scrotum and the testes were removed tality associated with this surgical procedure. after tearing off the spermatic cord. After castration, a topical antibiotic was administered on the injury area Methods (oxytetracycline; Tenicol spray: MSD) for 5 s. Routine Animals, facilities and experimental design use of an antibiotic spray was used in this study in order This research was carried out at two one-site commer- to ensure optimal post-surgical recovering in the cas- cial swine herd farms, located in Segovia, Spain. Both trated group. farms were farrow-to-finish farms and were located in the same geographical area, had the same genetic lines Observations and measurements and feed provider and similar size (630 and 570 repro- A general physical examination was performed for all ductive sows in Farm 1 and Farm 2, respectively). The enrolled pigs on Study Day 0. Body weight was mea- experimental design was a randomized block design, in- sured from all piglets on Study Day 0 (3–6 days of age) cluding surgical castration as the main effect, resulting and at weaning (28 days of age), and average daily gain in two experimental treatment groups with surgically (ADG) in the study period was calculated. Daily general castrated males (CM) and male pigs kept as intact males health observations were carried out by the farm (IM). workers and ill or injured piglets were promptly exam- Any sows with a clinical history of high incidence of ined and

…Zaragoza-IIS, C/Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; ttejedor@unizar.es 3 Centro Clínico Veterinario, C/Madre Genoveva Torres Morales 8, 50006 Zaragoza, Spain; kikevet39@gmail.com 4 Sydney School of…

ratory for Research on Heavy Metals Accumulation in the Food Chain and Modeling, Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and University of Agronomic Sciences, 011464 Bucharest, Romania; liliana_tudoreanu223@hotmail.co.uk 18 Norsvin SA, Storhamargata 44, 2317 Hamar, Norway; maren.van.son@norsvin.no 19 Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7015, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; Galia.zamaratskaia@slu.se 20 Department of Food Science and Technology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, 30071 Espinardo Murcia, Spain; macarena.egea@um.es * Correspondence: marijke.aluwe@ilvo.vlaanderen.be Animals 2020, 10, 1758; doi:10.3390/ani10101758 www.mdpi.com/journal/animals Animals 2020, 10, 1758 2 of 25 Received: 14 August 2020; Accepted: 16 September 2020; Published: 28 September 2020 Simple Summary: In many countries, surgical castration of piglets without pain relief or anaesthesia is still common practice. Castration is performed to minimise the incidence of boar taint, a bad taste (urine/fecal like), typically present in the meat of 5 to 10% of uncastrated male pigs. It also helps to avoid aggressive and sexual behaviour. For animal welfare reasons, alternatives are being considered, and in some countries, an alternative is already practiced. One option is to perform surgical castration with anaesthesia and relieve pain. A second option is to produce male pigs without castration, which requires detection of tainted carcasses in the slaughter house. A third option is to apply immunocastration: by a two-fold injection of a vaccine, the testes function is inhibited, which reduces boar-like behaviour and avoids boar taint. In this study, we evaluated the acceptability of each of these methods in 16 countries in Europe. Of the 4

…Conceptualistion, C.E., S.L. and P.W.; methodology, C.E., S.L. and P.W., validation, C.E., S.L. and P.W.; formal analysis, C.E. and S.L.; investigation…

ratory for Research on Heavy Metals Accumulation in the Food Chain and Modeling, Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and University of Agronomic Sciences, 011464 Bucharest, Romania; liliana_tudoreanu223@hotmail.co.uk 18 Norsvin SA, Storhamargata 44, 2317 Hamar, Norway; maren.van.son@norsvin.no 19 Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7015, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; Galia.zamaratskaia@slu.se 20 Department of Food Science and Technology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, 30071 Espinardo Murcia, Spain; macarena.egea@um.es * Correspondence: marijke.aluwe@ilvo.vlaanderen.be Animals 2020, 10, 1758; doi:10.3390/ani10101758 www.mdpi.com/journal/animals Animals 2020, 10, 1758 2 of 25 Received: 14 August 2020; Accepted: 16 September 2020; Published: 28 September 2020 Simple Summary: In many countries, surgical castration of piglets without pain relief or anaesthesia is still common practice. Castration is performed to minimise the incidence of boar taint, a bad taste (urine/fecal like), typically present in the meat of 5 to 10% of uncastrated male pigs. It also helps to avoid aggressive and sexual behaviour. For animal welfare reasons, alternatives are being considered, and in some countries, an alternative is already practiced. One option is to perform surgical castration with anaesthesia and relieve pain. A second option is to produce male pigs without castration, which requires detection of tainted carcasses in the slaughter house. A third option is to apply immunocastration: by a two-fold injection of a vaccine, the testes function is inhibited, which reduces boar-like behaviour and avoids boar taint. In this study, we evaluated the acceptability of each of these methods in 16 countries in Europe. Of the 4