Immunocastration in Fattening Pigs and its Effects on Productive Performance
Keywords:
immunocastration, pig, productive performanceAbstract
According to the European and national legislation which set the minimum standards for pig protection, the castration of piglets after the age of seven days must be performed only under prolonged anaesthesia and analgesia. As far as welfare is concerned, pig castration in these conditions is mandatory in order to reduce to the minimum the pain generated by the surgical method itself. Immunocastration is an alternative methods to surgical castration based on the use of antibodies against the gonadotropin releasing hormone (Gn-RH), which once neutralized suppresses testicles development and function and inhibits the smell of boar. The aims of this study were to see the immunocastration effects on productive performance in pigs PIC hybrids. Animals included in the study were PIC fattening pigs, grouped in two groups: A lot (n: 485) - surgically castrated pigs, and B lot (n: 604) - immunocastrated pigs. The fattening technology was identical for all pigs included in this study. Pigs’ immunization was performed using Improvac®. The results obtained showed that A lot recorded a daily average weight gain of 785 g, while loss due to mortality was 2.82 %. In the case of lot B, the recorded daily average weight gain was 834 g (49g higher than the one in lot A), while loss due to mortality were 2.59 % (0.23 % lower than in lot A). Pig immunocastration is an acceptable method as far as welfare standards are concerned, reducing the stress generated by surgical castration. Productive performance in immunocastrated pigs are improved compared to the one of surgically castrated pigs.
References
Ordin ANSVSA 202/2006 pentru aprobarea Normei sanitare veterinare care stabileste standardele minime pentru protectia porcinelor.
European Community, Council Directive 2001/93/EC, amending Council Directive 91/630/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs. Official Journal L 316: 36–38.
Prunier, A., Mounier, A.M., Hay, M., Effects of castration, tooth resection, or tail docking on plasma metabolites and stress hormones in young pigs. J Anim Sci, 2005, 83:216-222.
Sutherland, M.A., Davis, B.L., Brooks, T.A., McGlone, J.J., Physiology and behavior of pigs before and after castration: effects of two topical anesthetics. Animal, 2010, 4:12, pp 2071–2079.
Edwards, S.A., Oliver, M.A., Ouedraogo, A., Gonzalez, J., Gil, M., Fredriksen, B., Von Borell, E., Baumgartner, J., Giersing, M., Jaeggin, N., Prunier, A., Tuyttens, F.A.M., Spoolder, H., Lundström, K., Zamaratskaia, G., Matthews, K., Haugen, J.E., Squires, E.J., de Roest, K., Montanari, C., Fowler, T., Baltussen, W., Migdal, W., Font I Furnols, M., Bonneau, M., PIGCAS, Attitudes, practices and state of the art regarding piglet castration in Europe, Report on the evaluation of research and other information, 2009. http://w3.rennes.inra.fr/pigcas/
Von Borell, E., Baumgartner, J., Giersing, M., Jaggin, N., Prunier, A., Tuyttens, F.A.M., Edwards, S.A., Animal welfare implications of surgical castration and its alternatives in pigs. Animal 2009a, 3, 1488-1496.
Skarstad, G.A., Borgen, S., Norwegian pig producers' view on animal welfare, NILF, Oslo. http://www.nilf.no/publikasjoner/DP/En/2007/DP-2007-01.pdf.
Morales, J.I., Cámara, L., Berrocoso, J.D., López, J.P., Mateos, G.G., Serrano, M.P., Influence of sex and castration on growth performance and carcass quality of crossbred pigs from 2 Large White sire lines. J Anim Sci, 2011, 89:3481-3489.
Pauly, C., Spring, P., O’Doherty, J.V., Ampuero Kragten, S., Bee, G., Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs. Animal, 2009, 3:1057-1066.
Skrlep, M., Segula, B., Zajec, M., Kastelic, M., Kosorok, S., Fazarinc, G., Candek-Potokar, M., Effect of immunocastration (IMPROVAC®) in fattening pigs I: growth performance, reproductive organs and malodorous compounds, Slov Vet Res, 2010, 47 (2): 57-64.
Fabrega, E., Velarde, A., Cros, J., Gispert, M., Suarez, P., Tibau, J., Soler, J., Effect of vaccination against gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, using Imporvac®, on growth performance, body composition, behavior and acute phase proteins. Livestock Science, 2010, 132:53- 59.
