Abstract
Immunocastration, a technique to replace surgical castration of piglets, consists of two consecutive vaccinations to induce antibodies which transiently suppress testicular functions and avoid boar taint. It is a method to ensure both a high product quality and a high level of animal welfare. The impact of immunocastration on the three pillars of sustainability has been studied extensively. While all aspects of sustainability have been studied separately, however, a contemporary global overview of different aspects is missing. In immunocastrates, performance results are better than in barrows, but worse than in boars. The environmental impact of pork production with immunocastrates is lower than with barrows, but higher than with boars. The level of aggression is considerably lower in immunocastrates compared to boars. Societal concerns are mainly related to food safety, and are not supported by scientific evidence. After second vaccination, immunocastrates switch from a boar- to a barrow-like status. Therefore, the timing of second vaccination is a fine-tuning tool to balance advantages of boars with environmental and economic benefits against increased risk of welfare problems and boar taint. Nevertheless, both synergic and conflicting relationships between the pillars of sustainability must be communicated along the value chain to produce tailored pork products.
Highlights
The Castration Dilemma in Pork ProductionIn Europe, many citizens are concerned about the impact of intensive production conditions of farm animals on animal welfare and the environment [1,2,3]
A sex-specific off-odor of the carcass may develop in some growing boars during puberty, which can be mainly ascribed to two substances, androstenone and skatole
Immunocastration is an active immunization against GnRH [33] and could be a sustainable alternative to solve the above-mentioned problems of pork production with boars and surgical castrates, and could make European pork production more competitive
Summary
In Europe, many citizens are concerned about the impact of intensive production conditions of farm animals on animal welfare and the environment [1,2,3]. Gonadal hormones in boars already interact during the fattening period, with the endocrine regulation of growth by decreasing catabolic processes (e.g., androgens) or increasing anabolic processes (e.g., estrogens via stimulatory action on IGF-I secretion) This leads to more efficient growth, increased nitrogen retention and higher protein accretion rate when compared to barrows [22]. Both androgens and estrogens decrease the voluntary feed intake and improve the feed conversion ratio, explaining the known differences between barrows, gilts, and boars [12]. In order to evaluate immunocastration from a sustainability point of view, this review examines factors which are part of the three pillars of sustainability (society, economy, and environment) and how their interactions can lead to both synergic and conflicting relationships within the three pillars
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
