Performance and hormone levels of immunocastrated, surgically castrated and intact male pigs fed ad libitum high- and low-energy diets

Zeng, Xianyin; Turkstra, J.A.; Jongbloed, A.W.; Diepen, J.T.M. van; Meloen, Rob H.; Oonk, Hendrica B.; Guo, Da; Wiel, D.F.M. van de

doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(02)00024-6

Cited by 41 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…However, compared to recent experiments, these studies with entire males of the nineties were carried out with individually penned pigs, which limited the social interactions and, thus, lowered the energy expenditure on activities unrelated to growth. Carcass yield and carcass fat deposition were lower in EM and EM1 than in C, which confirms the results reported by Sather et al (1999), Dunshea et al (2001) and Zeng et al (2002). It is well known that lower backfat deposition rate affects lipid composition of the adipose tissue as the degree of unsaturation of the lipids increases (Bee et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and a raw potato starch-enriched diet

Pauly

Spring

O’Doherty

et al. 2008

Animal

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In Europe there is increasing concern about the common practice of surgical castration of piglets without anaesthesia. One possible alternative to completely avoid castration is entire male pig production. Thus, the objective of the study was to compare the growth performance, carcass characteristics, organ weights, meat quality traits, fat score and boar taint compounds in the adipose tissue of group-penned entire male pigs and castrates. Furthermore, the effect of raw potato starch (RPS) fed for 7 days prior to slaughter was determined. Pigs (n= 36) were blocked by BW into 12 blocks (3 littermates/block) and assigned to three experimental groups: surgical castrates (C); entire males (EM); and entire males offered RPS (30 g RPS/100 g diet) for 7 days prior to slaughter (EM+). Pigs hadad libitumaccess to the feed from 22 to 107 kg, individual feed intake was recorded daily and BW once a week. Entire males grew slower (EM: 771, EM+: 776v. C: 830 g/day;P< 0.01), consumed less feed (EM: 1.87, EM+: 1.89v. C: 2.23 kg/day;P< 0.01) and were more efficient (feed conversion ratio: EM: 2.42, EM+: 2.44v. C: 2.69 kg/kg;P< 0.01) than C. Compared to C, carcass dressing percentage was lower (EM: 79.4, EM+: 79.4v. C: 81.6%;P< 0.01) and percentage of valuable cuts was higher (EM: 57.3, EM+: 56.5v. 52.6%;P< 0.01) in entire males. The hearts (EM: 426, EM+: 425v. C: 378 g), kidneys (EM: 387, EM+: 378v. C: 311 g), bulbourethral (EM: 200, EM+: 195v. C: 7 g) and salivary glands (EM: 99, EM+: 94v. C: 42 g) were heavier (P< 0.001) in entire males than in C. Meat quality traits did not (P> 0.05) differ among experimental groups but the adipose tissue was more unsaturated in entire males than in C as indicated by the higher fat scores (EM: 69.1, EM+: 67.2v. C: 63.6;P< 0.01). Feeding RPS reduced (P= 0.04) the skatole tissue concentrations (expressed in μg/g lipid) in EM+ (0.22) compared to EM (0.85), whereas androstenone and indole levels were not (P⩾ 0.60) affected (EM: 1.7 and 0.10, EM+: 2.0 and 0.09, respectively). Although the current results confirmed the high efficiency of entire males compared to castrates, the observed high androstenone levels represent a major challenge to implement entire males production.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and a raw potato starch-enriched diet

Pauly

Spring

O’Doherty

et al. 2008

Animal

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“…Anti-GnRH immunization inhibited testes growth in IM to about 55% of that found for EM, as has been reported by other authors (Meloen et al, 1994;Dunshea et al, 2001;Zeng et al, 2002). The difference in testis size between EM and IM pigs was also visible by the outside appearance of the scrotum.…”

Section: Immunocastration Against Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone (Gnrsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…This result is well known and reported in bibliography by several authors (Walstra, 1977;Zeng et al, 2002), and it is mainly attributed to higher voluntary feed intake of PM compared with EM. In this regard, in the experiment of Turkstra et al (2002) the feed intake of pigs was restricted and they did not show a difference in fat deposition between PM and EM.…”

Section: Immunocastration Against Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone (Gnrsupporting

confidence: 83%

Evaluation of production performance and carcass quality characteristics of boars immunised against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) compared with physically castrated male, entire male and female pigs

Morales

Gispert

Hortós

et al. 2010

Span. j. agric. res.

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The objectives of this study were to assess the performance and carcass quality characteristics of boars immunised against gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH (IM) compared with physically castrated males (PM), entire males (EM) and entire female pigs (EF). For the study 288 crossbred (Large White × Landrace) pigs were used comprising four equal groups of 72 IM, 72 PM, 72 EM and 72 EF. The study period was from 74 days of age (31.2 ± 5.57 kg body weight; mean ± std. dev.) to slaughter at 172 days of age (107.7 ± 14.82 kg body weight). PM were physically castrated at 5 days of age and IM pigs were vaccinated with the GnRH vaccine Improvac ® (Pfizer Animal Health) at 74 and 145 days of age (89.1 ± 15.93 kg body weight). Across the duration of the study period, growth rate was numerically highest in IM group and significantly higher than EF (P < 0.01). This was also reflected in respective slaughter weights. EM had the lowest feed:gain ratio (P < 0.001) followed by IM which had a lower ratio than both PM and EF. At slaughter, testes weights were reduced in IM by approximately 55% (P < 0.001) compared with EM. Fat content (backfat thickness and intramuscular fat) was higher and lean percentage of carcass lower in PM compared to all other groups (P < 0.05), with no differences between EF, EM and IM. Boar taint compounds, skatole and androstenone, were lower in IM pigs compared with EM (P < 0.05), and not differing from the concentrations measured in PM and EF. Immunisation of entire male pigs against GnRH allows improved feed efficiency compared with physical castrates with no detriment to carcass or meat quality.Additional key words: boar taint, carcass quality, GnRH immunization, production performance, swine. Resumen Evaluación de los rendimientos productivos y de las características de la calidad de la canal de cerdos machos inmunizados frente a la hormona liberadora de gonadotropina (GnRH) en comparación con machos castrados quirúrgicamente, machos enteros y hembrasLos objetivos del presente estudio fueron evaluar la productividad y características de la calidad de la canal de cerdos inmunizados frente a GnRH (IM) en comparación con machos castrados físicamente (PM), machos enteros (EM) y hembras (EF). Se utilizaron un total de 288 híbridos comerciales (Large White × Landrace). Los PM fueron castrados a los 5 días de vida, mientras que los cerdos IM se vacunaron con GnRH Improvac ® (Pfizer Animal Health) a los 74 (31,2 ± 5,57 kg peso vivo; media ± desv. est.) y 145 días de edad (89,1 ± 15,93 kg peso vivo). La ganancia de peso diaria fue numéricamente mayor en el grupo IM, y de forma significativa frente a las EF (P < 0,01). Este efecto también se reflejó en los pesos de sacrificio. EM mostraron el menor valor de índice de conversión (P < 0,001) seguidos por IM, que mostraron un menor índice que PM y EF. En el sacrificio, el peso testicular se redujo en IM un 55% (P < 0,001) en comparación con EM. El contenido de grasa (espesor de grasa dorsal y grasa intramuscular) fue mayor y el porcentaje magro de la c...

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“…Although ADFI in the present study tended to be higher than in the aforementioned study (2.06 v. 1.90 kg/day), overall the ADFI of entire males was still low. Cronin et al (2003) and Zeng et al (2002) also observed lower dietary energy intake of entire males than barrows. The low feed intake could be related to the negative influence of sexual hormones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs

Pauly

Spring

O’Doherty

et al. 2009

Animal

166

111

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The objective of the study was to compare growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue of group-penned barrows, immunocastrated boars and entire males. Furthermore, the effect of housing of entire males on the aforementioned parameters was evaluated. At 55.2 days of age, 52 Swiss Large White pigs were blocked by litter and assigned by BW to four experimental groups: barrows (C), immunocastrated boars (IC), entire males (EMG) reared in group pens and entire males (EMP) reared in individual pens. In experiment 1, the effects of the method of castration were investigated (experimental groups C, IC and EMG). In experiment 2, the effects of housing on entire male pigs were evaluated (experimental groups EMG and EMP). All pigs had ad libitum access to standard diets from weaning to 107 kg BW. The two vaccinations (Improvac R ) were applied to the IC pigs at an average BW of 22.6 and 73.0 kg. In experiment 1, average daily gain (ADG) did not ( P . 0.05) differ among the experimental groups. However, EMG consumed less feed and had a better feed-conversion ratio than C ( P , 0.001 for each). For IC, intermediate values were observed, which differed ( P , 0.001) from EMG and C. Lean meat percentage decreased ( P , 0.05) from EMG to IC, and from IC to C. The androstenone and skatole levels were higher ( P , 0.05) in the adipose tissue of EMG than IC and C. Shear force values were higher ( P , 0.01) in the longissimus muscle of C and EMG, compared to IC. The concentration of saturated fatty acid in the adipose tissue increased ( P , 0.001) from EMG to IC, and from IC to C pigs, and that of polyunsaturated fatty acid decreased ( P , 0.001). In experiment 2, ADG did not ( P . 0.05) differ between EMP and EMG. However, EMP pigs consumed more feed than EMG pigs and had a poorer feed efficiency ( P , 0.01 for each). In conclusion, EMG pigs had a better feed efficiency than IC pigs and their carcasses were leaner, but the risk of boar tainted pork was elevated. Group-housing negatively affected average daily feed intake but not ADG of entire males. At the moment, immunocastration offers a good approach to avoid castration and minimize the risk of boar taint.

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Performance and hormone levels of immunocastrated, surgically castrated and intact male pigs fed ad libitum high- and low-energy diets

Cited by 41 publications

References 20 publications

Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and a raw potato starch-enriched diet

Performances, meat quality and boar taint of castrates and entire male pigs fed a standard and a raw potato starch-enriched diet

Evaluation of production performance and carcass quality characteristics of boars immunised against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) compared with physically castrated male, entire male and female pigs

Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs

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