When raising pigs for meat, the castration of piglets is of no small importance. This process can be done at home with your own hands, if you know the requirements of such manipulation and master the technique of its implementation. Experienced veterinarians castrate a piglet in 1-2 minutes.

All hogs, except for breeding ones, are subject to castration.

The main reasons due to which almost all males in pig breeding are castrated, excluding the livestock left for use in breeding, include:

1. Behavioral. Upon reaching 5 months of age or 100 kg. males begin to enter the period of active puberty. This is manifested by a change in their behavioral type. Such pigs begin to conflict with each other, expressing an aggressive character. The farm workers manage to cope with them with difficulty. At the same time, castrated peers are calmer.
2. The quality of meat products. If the pig has not been neutered, then its meat has an unpleasant odor for physiological reasons.

This is due to the fact that the spermatic glands in the boar produce androstenone, a hormone that accumulates in saliva and is converted into a pheromone that attracts sows. And the skatole formed in the intestine gets through the walls into the adipose tissue. They are released from meat products when exposed to high temperatures during cooking.

What time to perform castration

Best age for castration of a piglet - 1.5 months.

There is no single rule about when to castrate. Meanwhile, the younger the individual, the easier it is to do this: the blood loss will be much less than that of an adult male. It has been found that piglets under one week of age feel pain more acutely than babies over two weeks of age. Because of this, it is not recommended to castrate piglets until two weeks of age. Such a shock could affect their weight gain in the future. Piglets that have not been neutered grow and develop faster.

Casting should not be carried out in conjunction with vaccination of piglets. The time gap between such procedures should be at least 14 days. Castration is postponed during the period of unfavorable epidemiological situation in the pigsty.

It is considered optimal to castrate piglets under the age of 1.5 months. It is recommended to perform castration in the morning in order to be able to monitor the condition of the operated pig.

Required inventory

Modern, versatile veterinary forceps replace half of the castration instruments.

Castration is an operational process involving the incision of soft tissues and small blood vessels. You should be prepared to release some blood from the incision site.

The following items should be purchased as surgical instruments:

• abdominal scalpel,
• Cooper's scissors,
• emasculator,
• silk and stitching threads,
• catgut,
• needles with a holder, as well as several forceps (hemostatic, surgical and anatomical).

Important! The instruments used must be used only in a sterile form.

Hands should also be disinfected. The nail plates are cut shortly, and the space under the nail is thoroughly cleaned. Immediately before the procedure, hands are washed with disinfecting solutions for 3 minutes (Alfeld's method). After that, you should wear medical rubber gloves.

Preparing for surgery

The piglet is carefully examined before the operation.

Before selecting piglets for such a procedure, it is necessary to examine their scrotum and adjacent tissues. They should be free of lesions, neoplasms, or subcutaneous fluid accumulations. The operation should be started only if there is no damage to the epithelium on the genital organ.

The piglet is fixed on its back, the bristles are shaved off the area to be surgically treated, and then the area is smeared with alcohol or iodine solution.

For small piglets, anesthesia is carried out with topical drugs. An adult male is given intramuscular administration of azaperone at the rate of 1 ml for every 10 kg of live weight. It is injected into the muscles on the upper inner thigh.

What are the ways of castration

Surgical castration of a pig is a simple and almost bloodless operation.

Today there are such types of castration:

1. No surgical intervention (chemical, radiological, mechanical). These methods are the most sparing for the animal, but they have a high cost, so there is no way to use them in small farms.
2. Surgical method (closed and open).

Open surgery is the most common procedure for castration. As a rule, these are piglets up to 1.5 months of age. In order for the operated smog to perform the procedures without interference, they are fixed in the machines.

Adult animals tolerate castration operation worse than piglets.

Closed-type technology is used for castration of adult males and young animals with intravaginal hernia. The peculiarity of this method is that there is no need to open the casing. The ligature is applied to the spermatic cord with the capture of the vaginal membrane next to the inguinal ring. Then the testis is cut off in the lower part of the ligature. Then the same procedure is performed on the other testis.

Castration of adult pigs

In a small farm, it is enough to have 1 breeding boar. The meat of such an animal is unsuitable for consumption. Usually adult males are neutered by veterinarians. The procedure is recommended to be carried out at least 2 months before slaughter. This will make it possible to sell animal meat for human consumption.

Attention! If it is necessary to operate on an adult male, then the machine for the castration of young animals cannot be used due to the large size of the animal.

At this age, castration can be carried out not only to improve the productivity of the farm, but also for medical reasons. It is indicated for a hernia of the scrotum, inflammatory processes in the gonads and other similar problems.

Boar castration is carried out several months before slaughter in order to eliminate the odor.

The disadvantages of castrating adults are rather high painful sensations and subsequent complications. They can appear both after a short period after the operation, as well as after a rather long period of time.

During the first day, bleeding, prolapse of internal organs may appear: the omentum, intestines, bladder and stump remaining after castration from the spermatic cord. Such types of pathologies do not appear in a more distant time. Late complications can begin to appear as early as the second day. These include edema of the operated area, funiculitis, phlegmon, peritonitis, sepsis, gangrene.

Hernia surgery

Protrusion of the wall of the scrotum or peritoneum and prolapse of internal organs outside through the inguinal ring are treated surgically. Such problems can be congenital in nature, and also appear later.

Surgical removal of a hernia is performed only by a veterinarian.

Signs of a hernia are protrusion of the bowel loop or omentum into the hernial opening. In this case, treatment can be used both conservative and operative:

• Conservative. It is used in the form of bandages or bandages that support the pig's belly. Or, ointments are used to help close the hernial ring with a scar. Lugol solution or 10% sodium chloride colloid is injected into the nearby tissues. But such methods do not bring 100% cure.
• Operational. An effective result from the treatment is provided only with the help of surgical intervention. This procedure is carried out under the conditions of keeping the hands and instruments sterile. The animal is washed in the area of ​​the operation. The pig is then placed in a pen in a supine position and anesthesia is administered.

Previously, the bristles are scraped off in the area of ​​the incision and the place is treated with an antiseptic with tanning of the surrounding fabrics. Also, the area on the skin is smeared with iodine after shaving off the bristles and immediately before the procedure.

After the suture is applied, the veterinarian will seal the suture with a special adhesive tape.

If the hernia is small, a straight incision is made. Then the hernial sac is prepared at a distance of 3-5 cm from the edge, the intestinal loops or omentum are adjusted inward and 3-5 stitches are applied. In this case, the needle is inserted into the tissue at a distance of 1-2 cm from the hernial opening, and is pulled out near its edge. The opposite side is sewn up in the same way.

After that, the hernial sac is removed outside the ring, and its neck is squeezed by intestinal pulp. Only after that, below the place of compression, it is stitched with catgut. Then the hernial sac is cut off 2.5 cm from the suture, and pulled together, with a preliminary ligation of the hernial ring. The incision site is covered with streptocide powder, the skin is sutured, and the scar is closed with an adhesive bandage.

In the postoperative period, the animal is in a separate pen with a thick bed, with the obligatory observance of the temperature regime. For 2-3 hours after the operation, it is necessary to monitor the animal, because complications in the form of bleeding or loss of the bandage are possible.

Observation of the animal after the operation is necessary for several hours.

Open operations

Piglets are most often castrated in the open way. The operation is carried out using a machine for fixing the animal. The principle is to violate the integrity of the spermatic cord. This method is used for the castration of suckling pigs at about 2 weeks of age. The testis is grasped with two fingers, and then the scrotum is incised. This is done in one motion, at a distance of 0.5-1 cm parallel to the suture of the scrotum.

Then the testis is removed and the transitional ligament is cut. The tissue is pulled back to the outer groin ring in order to be able to pass the spermatic cord between the fingers. The testis is twisted with the right hand and pulled away from the abdominal cavity, while with the left it is fixed and twisted by the index finger on the right hand. After that, with a jerky movement, the fabric is pulled until it breaks. The incision is treated with an antibiotic mixed with petroleum jelly or another anesthetic.

Attention! For older males, the procedure is done using the same technology before cutting the transitional ligament.

Then, with the left hand, the incised tissue is withdrawn to the walls of the peritoneum. The spermatic cord is held between two fingers, the ligature is applied at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from the testis, and then dissected. The remaining stumps are treated with iodine mixed with glycerin (1x10). To prevent the formation of a hard crust, the edges of the incisions are lubricated with petroleum jelly.

The piglet is firmly fixed during castration.

Castration on ligature

In this way, piglets that have reached 10 days of age are castrated. But most often this procedure is used on males aged 45-65 days. Depending on the growth of the pig, it is fixed in a supine position or held head down by the limbs. For this purpose, at home, you can use, for example, a trough or ladder.

After shaving or cutting the bristles, the skin at the site of the future tissue dissection is treated with a 5% iodine solution. The testis is grasped with two fingers and the scrotum is dissected with a scalpel. Then it is removed and the transitional ligament is cut.

The dissected tissue is pushed towards the abdominal wall. A ligature (silk thread or catgut) is applied to the vacated section of the spermatic cord, and then dissection is performed. After that, the tissues affected by the surgery are treated with an antiseptic and glycerin.

Piglet castration is performed using a special tool.

Break of the spermatic cord

In this way, only the smallest piglets up to 2 weeks of age are castrated. The principle of the method is to pull the spermatic cord twisted along the axis from the abdominal wall after the transitional ligament has been cut and the tissues are displaced towards the inguinal ring.

This is done with the right hand, and at this time, the spermatic cord is grasped through the skin of the scrotum with the left hand and fixed with Kocher forceps. After that, it is twisted onto the index finger of the right hand and pulled with force until it breaks. Some operators use a jerk to break the gap. The wound is then treated with an antiseptic or antibiotic.

Taking care of animals after surgery

At the end of the surgery, the animal is placed in a separate unit for a week. The cage is preliminarily cleaned of dirt and washed out using alkali. Fresh hay or straw is covered on the floor. It should be changed as it gets dirty. It is not recommended to use sawdust at this time to avoid complications.

The postoperative period is dangerous for infections, therefore, special care is needed for the piglets.

After castration, the animal may briefly refuse food due to pain syndrome... In case of deviations from the normal healing process, you should contact your veterinarian for help.

Important! It is necessary to constantly monitor the well-being of the operated animal. Check the condition of the seams so as not to miss the onset of a possible inflammatory process.

If the seam at the incision site does not heal for a long time, this may indicate an inflammatory process, peritonitis. It is likely that the wound was infected during castration. Therefore, an urgent introduction of antibiotics is necessary.

Inspection of the stitches and wound surface should be done every day.

The piglet is given adequate nutrition with feed with easy assimilation. As a preventive measure for the occurrence of peritonitis, novocaine blockade according to Mosin is performed.

• when choosing a piglet for castration, it must be borne in mind that after vaccination at least 2 weeks should pass, and after the operation, it should not be vaccinated for the same period;
• if the piglet is sick, then its castration can be carried out no earlier than 2 weeks after recovery;
• the castration procedure in small piglets causes fewer complications and is easier to carry out;
• if the testicle in the piglet did not descend into the scrotum before the operation, then a laparotomy is done by veterinarians and then the testicle is removed.

Castration of Vietnamese piglets is carried out in the same ways as operations of representatives of other breeds. The video shows the process of home castration of a piglet:

Castration is a common procedure for pig breeders. It is carried out to the piglets. A wild boar can only be operated on under special circumstances, for health reasons, when for some reason it is not slaughtered for meat.

Pig castration is a full-fledged operation, and it requires a competent approach. Failure to follow the recommendations can cause serious harm to the animal, or even lose an individual. Experienced breeders perform the manipulations on their own. For novice pig breeders, it is better to seek the help of a veterinarian.

A castrated male pig (boar) has a disturbed hormonal background, which leads to the appearance of features useful for the breeder. Castration is beneficial for the owner for the following reasons:

• Fast weight gain. Boars, after reaching maturity, begin to experience heat monthly; in an overexcited state, they lose their appetite for several days, due to which their mass decreases. Castration removes this problem.
• Meekness. A non-neutered boar is dangerous and can cause damage to congeners, which reduces their productivity. Sometimes he attacks the owner. Adding costs is the tendency of boars to destroy enclosures.
• Prevention of covering the female with a random boar not suitable for breeding.
• Endurance. It has been noticed that neutered piglets adapt more easily to difficult climatic conditions.
• The quality of the meat. The meat of a non-emasculated male has a pungent and unpleasant odor, which reduces its cost.

For medical reasons, piglets are castrated only by a veterinarian to prevent the loss of the animal. In this case, the operation is performed when the piglet is not yet large enough to be slaughtered.

At what age is it better to castrate

Castration of Vietnamese piglets is carried out in the same way as in other breeds - in the period from 10 to 45 days, until the animal is out of milk age. With such a pig, the procedure is as easy as possible, and the owner gets rid of unnecessary costs. The advantages of early castration:

• There is no need to rigidly fix the piglet;
• The need for pain relievers;
• The loss of blood in a piglet is small (as opposed to an adult);
• The presence of the mother quickly calms the piglet and relieves its stress;
• The sow's milk contains a large amount of antibodies that support the immunity of the piglet and prevent the development of complications;
• Sow's milk accelerates the healing of wounds and accelerates the recovery of the piglet;
• Rapid restructuring of the body - as a result of castration of a piglet at a young age, it does not have time to start producing sex hormones, and therefore the quality of meat does not decrease.

There are no strict restrictions on the timing of castration, but, nevertheless, castration should not be carried out before 10 days and after 45 - the operation is easier at the optimal age. Only wild boar, castrated for up to 6 months, gives good meat. After puberty, the meat of the animal becomes smelly. Also, aggressive behavior is formed in wild boars, which persists after the operation as a constant habit, which makes it impossible to keep them in the general herd. The boar will fight the rest of the pigs, causing them serious injuries, as well as losing weight himself.

Preparing for castration

Having decided at what age the piglets will be neutered, they are preparing for the operation. Piglets are sterilized at home on their own, or by calling a veterinarian. If piglets are vaccinated or treated for worms, castration is postponed for 2 weeks, since the double load on the animal's body will cause complications.

In order to avoid health problems of the piglet, it must be prepared in advance for the neutering procedure.

You can do the operation all year round. The manipulation is carried out in the morning to observe the animal for a long time. First, to identify possible damage and pathologies, the area of ​​operation is examined and probed. If they are, it is better to entrust all actions to the veterinarian.

From the instrument for the operation, you must purchase the following:

• Scalpel - can be replaced with a razor blade;
• Scissors - straight or curved;
• Clamps - to stop the blood;
• Needles - if wound closure is required (usually used in adult boars);
• Antiseptic;
• Cotton wool;
• Silk thread;
• Antibiotics;
• Medical gloves.

Castration should be done under sterile conditions and it is important to properly prepare your hands. To do this, first, they cut off the nails and remove the burrs, and then thoroughly wash their hands with laundry soap. Sterile surgical gloves are then put on.

Castration methods

On farms, the usually open bloody method is used, in which the skin is dissected. Chemical castration is bloodless and does not cause injury, but it is expensive and therefore not cost effective. Also, not traumatic, but an expensive method is X-ray irradiation.

How is the operation performed

How to castrate piglets, every breeder should know. This procedure is simple and does not require complex skills. Open surgery is the most common. The animal is fixed in a supine position on its back using a machine or in any other way, after which the area of ​​operation is treated with an antiseptic.

Castration of a piglet laid in a pen

The testes are taken in the hand and squeezed so that the skin is well stretched. After that, 2 cuts are quickly made on both sides. It is important not to damage the inner shell. Next, the testis is gently pulled out and a silk thread is tied on its cord to prevent bleeding. The testis is then cut off below the tied site. The stump is treated with iodine, and the wound is sprinkled with an antibiotic powder (you can use a streptocide from a pharmacy).

Holes after surgery must be treated with an antiseptic

When piglets are castrated, the rope is not always cut off. Sometimes it is torn off after applying a clamp. This procedure is more complicated and requires considerable experience, which is why it is rarely practiced.

Post-operative care

Open methods of castration require post-operative care of the animal. The operated male must be placed in a separate stall, but several neutered animals can also be housed together. The stall should be kept clean and provided with a thick layer of straw bedding. Sawdust cannot be used, as they easily clog into wounds, causing inflammation.

Piglets are monitored for 5 days. In case of redness or swelling of the surgical site, contact your veterinarian.

To reduce the risk of inflammation, you can spray the surgical site with aluminum spray, an agent that creates an antibacterial protective film. The drug is for veterinary use and is purchased at pet stores.

Castration machine

In large farms, a pen is used to castrate piglets. This device allows you to securely fix the animal on its back. It is made of metal. The device is quite expensive, and therefore, in the home courtyard, it is often made independently from wood. The homemade device looks like a table, one of the edges of which has a semicircular cutout. It also has straps for fixing the legs of the animal. When the livestock is small and there is an assistant who will hold the piglet, then you can do without a machine.

Video: castration of two-month-old piglets at home

Only completely healthy piglets are castrated. Before the procedure, the animals are observed for 2-3 days to determine the absence of diseases. If everything is done correctly, the animal easily tolerates the operation and after 7 days it fully recovers after it. An adult boar needs up to 2 weeks to recover, and complications arise much more often.

Weaning or castration of piglets is the artificial removal of testes from boars and ovaries from pigs.

The active work of the sex glands in maturing males, and the penis with a wide spiral-shaped head in an excited state in them reaches half a meter in size, which are fattened not for the purpose of reproducing offspring, but to obtain high-quality meat, leads to a lot of unpleasant consequences and problems.

Inexperienced livestock breeders and consumers are concerned about how to remove the unpleasant smell of meat from boars.

Piglet after castration

Veterinarians, in addition to the surgical method, suspend the production of semen or remove the gonads of boars using chemical, radioactive, hormonal interventions - a bloodless method.

Chemical castration of piglets is performed by injection

At home, in the early stages of development of a piglet, at the age of 10 - 45 days, a manual sterilization operation is performed by the bloody method - a reliable method of changing the hormonal background.

Castration of piglets in the first days of life is more easily tolerated, without subsequent complications, with a minimum of blood loss.

A sterilized mature pig is a wild boar:

• calm, with no signs of monthly hunting;
• peaceful with respect to other males and people;
• with good appetite, gains body weight faster;
• more hardy;
• meat and lard of which is more tender, without a sharp unpleasant specific smell, with better chemical indicators.

Castration of boars is mandatory in order to prevent the smell of urine from processed meat products.

Castration of a piglet on a pen

Castration in more mature age is carried out for medical reasons, when the operation is the only way to remove a hernia, neoplasm, inflammation of the gonads and other pathologies.

The animals are also sterilized to prevent unwanted covering of females by males unsuitable for the breeding.

Bloody castration methods

Based on such indicators as age, weight, medical necessity, bloody bleeding is carried out in an open or closed way.

Before sterilization, preliminary preparation of the animal and postoperative observation is necessary. The operation can be performed at any time of the year, preferably in the morning.

The methods for home castration of pigs can be as follows.

Manual castration with a blade

Closed surgery for medical reasons (for adult boars)

1. Removal of a scrotal hernia.
2. Partial castration (the testis parenchyma partially remains, the function of sperm production does not stop).

Open weeding (for piglets of any age)

1. For ligature (for wild boars over 2 months of age).
2. On the Zanda forceps (for large specimens).
3. Breakage of the spermatic cord - manual method (for the age of 10-20 days).
4. Equipment for pigs intended for greasy fattening (over 2 months of age)

Castration of a boar to a ligature - description of the procedure

Tools and fixtures

Before the piglets are castrated, all the necessary tools, a machine, the surgeon's hands are thoroughly washed with soap and treated with a disinfectant solution.

Veterinary castration scalpel

Forceps and rubber bands for pulling the spermatic cord

For the baling operation it is necessary to prepare:

• scalpel;
• cotton wool and antiseptic;
• a needle, silk thread, forceps, and surgical scissors for some methods.

Neutering young piglets

The manipulation of the removal of the gonads in young piglets of the suckling period is performed by the method of open weeding. The testes are removed by breaking the spermatic cord.

Homemade castration machine

Operational progress:

• the baby is taken by the hind limbs upside down;
• the operated area is treated with brilliant green or iodine;
• without anesthesia, a neat incision is made in the skin of the scrotum on the left or right;
• a testis is taken in the hand;
• the rope is gradually pulled by the method of smooth or sharp twisting, breaking or cutting;
• mandatory antiseptic treatment of the damaged area;
• the procedure is repeated with another testicle;
• the operated pig is placed in a clean pen with fresh bedding; sawdust is not allowed.

Castration scheme

Compliance with all sanitary requirements, a week of monitoring the animal will prevent a possible abscess or other complications.

Scrotal hernia and its operation

A closed operation to remove a scrotal hernia is prescribed for adult boars, 60 - 65 days before slaughter. Mandatory adherence to intervals of 14 - 15 days between this procedure and preventive vaccination will prevent dangerous complications.

Removal of an inguinal hernia in an adult boar

Operational steps to remove the "inguinal hernia":

1. Secure fixation in the machine so that the operated boar is on its back in a stationary position with the back of the body raised upwards.
2. Treat the scrotum and the skin around it with soapy water, dry it.
3. Treat with iodine or brilliant green.
4. Anesthesia with 0.5% novocaine solution.
5. Collect the skin of the scrotum in a transverse fold, carefully dissect it with a scalpel, without damaging the cyanotic vaginal membrane.
6. The skin of the scrotum is pushed up.
7. Grasp the testis with hernia and the sheath with your hands and rotate it, 2-3 times, around its own axis by 360 °.
8. Apply a stitching ligature at a minimum distance of 1 cm from the inguinal ring.
9. Bandage with a silk thread, cut the spermatic cord together with the captured sheath with surgical scissors, bandage again and treat the wound surface with an antiseptic.

Boar testes and eggs

• The first home sterilization procedure can be carried out under the guidance of a veterinarian, first observing his work.
• Vaccinations and treatment are carried out 2 weeks before or after the operation.
• Evening feeding is canceled before the appointed day.
• Not to be confused, boar and hog are the difference. The first is a reproducer, he is taken out to the tribe. In a hog, castrata, the penis is inactive, so this animal is kept for slaughter.

There are some tricks on how to remove boar odor from meat. You can soak boar meat in several portions of cold water until the smell disappears completely.

Soaking boar meat with spices helps remove odor

Soda, potassium permanganate, mustard, lemon, milk, kefir are used. Used in the preparation of spices. Another way to remove the smell is to pickle with big amount onions and garlic.

Output

The procedure for orchiectomy of boars, at the age of a sucker, is painless, easier, with less blood loss, the penis and urinary function are not damaged during manipulation with the animal.

An experienced castrating or veterinarian will need 1-2 minutes to carry out this operation.

The main reason for the procedure is the high quality of meat products, an increase in the mass of hogs at a lower cost of feed.

Castration or starvation is an artificial interruption of the function of the genital glands. It can be done different methods and for a variety of medical or economic indications. Most often, castration is performed by removing the genital glands. In males, such methods are also used, as a result of which the work of the genital glands is partially or completely disrupted. This is achieved by the use of chemicals, hormonal drugs or radioactive radiation. Immunological sterilization attempts are currently being made.

Surgical sterilization, which is the most important economic operation, is of the greatest importance.

This procedure causes cardinal changes in the metabolism of the animal's body and, in connection with this, a kind of morphological deviations in its development. Let's look at what medical and economic goals are solved with the help of it.

Castration goals

As the pigs and hogs grow and mature, the production of sex hormones (estrogens and androgens) increases. In pigs, like any other animal, these hormones cause various changes associated with puberty, which are undesirable in pigs.

These include:

• The emergence of sexual heat, which is repeated every month. During the hunt, animals of both sexes are in an agitated state, anxious, eat poorly food, which leads to weight loss and deterioration in the quality of meat.
• Accidental insemination by unsuitable males.
• Non-castrated boars (boars) become aggressive and rather dangerous as they grow older. Such animals can attack each other, inflict very serious injuries, break equipment, cages, etc. Such animals become dangerous to humans as well.
• Non-castrates develop a persistent unpleasant pungent odor, which permeates the meat, making it practically inedible in pure form or requires special processing, therefore, all individuals going to fattening must be bachelled.

Medical indications for surgery are various diseases, for which castration is the only way to get rid of (for example, inflammation of the testes or ovaries, hernias, neoplasms and other pathologies, etc.).

The economic indication for surgery is:

• obtaining meat of a higher quality (more tender, better in chemical composition, odorless and specific taste, etc.);
• less consumption of feed during feeding when receiving large weight gain;
• feeding of used queens and breeding boars;
• facilitating group keeping of animals;
• to improve the working qualities of animals and their endurance.

Currently, experts recommend early castration of boars (suckling age) - at the age of two weeks, and even better in the first days of life. In this case, the operation will be transferred by young animals as easily as possible, with the least blood loss and without complications. The wounds will heal very quickly and the piglets will get stronger very quickly. Such early grooming has a beneficial effect on the further growth and development of castrates.

Benefits of early castration

• For its implementation, a minimum fixation of animals is required.
• Piglets calm down faster under the uterus.
• No pain relief required.
• Mother's milk provides the necessary amount of protective antibodies, which strengthens the immunity of babies.
• The least blood loss occurs. Wounds heal much faster.
• Complications rarely occur.
• Medication consumption - minimal
• The growth and development of young animals is becoming more rapid.

It is best if castration is performed by an experienced veterinarian.

Castration methods

Currently, several methods are known for grooming hogs and pigs. All of them are divided into bloody and bloodless operations.

All types of castrations are classified as bloody, in which there is a violation of the integrity of the skin or any membranes or organs. They are closed, open and partial.

Bloodless refers to killing in other ways, without being introduced into the body. Distinguish between chemical, mechanical and X-ray castration.

These three methods are the most costly and complex, therefore, their use is unprofitable from an economic point of view.

Consider the bloody methods of grooming: closed and open methods.

Closed ways

They are mainly assigned only to adults or very large boars. As well as animals with inguinal hernias.

The operation is planned not later than two weeks before and not earlier than this period after the end of preventive vaccinations against infectious diseases, as well as not less than two months before slaughter.

• Breeding old boars.

The boar is securely fixed on the back, or in another way. At the same time, a loop of strong rope is thrown onto the upper jaw, which is then pulled through the ring. Anchored in the floor, or through a crossbar near the floor between two posts. Then the skin of the scrotum is washed with soapy water, dried and tincture of iodine is applied. The iodine treatment serves two purposes: decontamination and tanning of the leather to make it easier to cut. Then local anesthesia is carried out with a half-percent solution of novocaine, after which the skin of the scrotum is collected in a fold (transverse) and dissection is carefully done. So as not to damage the common vaginal membrane (the membrane that covers the testis). It is easily recognizable by its bluish tint. Then, the testis is grasped right through it, the skin of the scrotum is pushed up to the abdominal wall. After that, the testis, together with the outer shell, is turned around itself once and sutured with a ligature as close as possible to the inguinal rings. After reliable dressing, they retreat from this place about one centimeter and cut the spermatic cord together with the sheath. After that, Tricillin powder is applied to the wound and a therapeutic aerosol, such as "Chemisprey", is sprayed.

• Castration of boars with scrotal hernia.

It is advisable to operate on hernias at the earliest age. Before the operation, the animal is fixed lying on its back, lifting the back part. Then the preparation of the operating field is carried out in the same way as described above. The operation field is anesthetized. The skin is dissected opposite the hernial ring, while maintaining the integrity of the vaginal membrane. Then it is carefully separated from the skin of the scrotum with gauze swabs in order to prevent slipping. Further, the contents of the hernia (most likely an intestinal loop) are pushed back into the abdominal cavity. In this case, the testis, vaginal membrane and spermatic cord twist around themselves by two or three turns, making sure that the intestinal loop does not get here. As close as possible to the inguinal or hernial ring, the ligature is sutured and cut off. The stump is securely stitched again. Then the surgical site is treated with an antibiotic and a protective aerosol is applied.

• Partial castration.

For this, the boar is reinforced in a dorsal position. The incision is made in the same way as in the open method of weeding. Only in this case, after dissection of the vaginal membrane, the ligament that connects the epididymis with the testis is not cut, due to which the testis remains well fixed. After that, the white membrane of the testis itself is dissected by about 2 cm and, squeezing the testis parenchyma with your fingers, squeeze it through the incision area, leaving only about one third of it. Then it is burned with an iodine solution. The remains of the testis with the appendage are set back into the cavity of the vaginal membrane. The disadvantage of this method is that the sperm production function does not completely stop.

Open ways

• Castration on ligature.

Boars aged 60 days and older are bailed in this way. But more often the pigs are castrated a couple of weeks before weaning or a few days after it.

Based on characteristics such as the age or weight of the animal, it is fixed either by its hind legs upside down, or in a prone position on various devices (a bench, a special bench, on an inclined board, or on a table). You can fix the piglet on its back, bringing all four limbs together. No pain relief is applied. The hair on the skin of the scrotum is cut off, and then the incision sites are treated with any antiseptic. Then, with the left hand, they grab the testis between two fingers (index and thumb), strain the skin of the scrotum and make an incision with a scalpel of all its tissues, including the vaginal membrane itself. The incision is made with a scalpel parallel to both sides of the suture of the scrotum, stepping back about one centimeter on each side.

The exposed testis is taken out, the ligament is cut, which connects the epididymis with the testis. Then, with one hand, the testis is pulled slightly by the cord or, conversely, the cut tissue is pushed upward to the abdominal wall, while exposing the cord. Then a strong ligature is applied to it. Then the testis is cut off below the imposed ligature. The edge of the stump is also treated with iodine solution, and the wound is covered with tricillin powder.

• Castration with Sand forceps.

This technique is used in adult boars. Forceps are applied to the exposed spermatic cord, and squeezing it, crush it. Then it is unscrewed until it separates. The stump is processed in the same way as in the previous method.

• Castration method by breaking the spermatic cord.

This technique is preferred for boars aged 10-20 days. Its technique corresponds to the ligature method, but at the same time the spermatic cord, pulling up, is twisted until it is completely separated, or it is cut off with a quick jerk, fixing the spermatic cord before this with a clamp. The break is made near the clamp, after which it is immediately removed, and the castration wound is filled with antiseptics or emulsion.

• Castration of gilts

In gilted gilts, the average daily weight gain increases by an average of 10-15%, the fattening period is reduced by about a month, feed consumption is reduced by 10-20%, the quality of meat and lard is noticeably improved. It is recommended to castrate gilts with a live weight of about 60 kg for further fattening. With the bacon type of fattening, it is not economically justified to bache the gilts.

The technique of sterilizing gilts is quite complex and is rarely used.

Only clinically healthy animals can be hyped, with normal temperature and state. After the operation, they are monitored to prevent various complications for three to five days. At the same time, attention is paid to the healing of wounds and the general condition of the animal.

After castration, the boars need to be provided with complete rest, for which they are separated from the rest of the herd. The cages are prepared for them in advance: they are cleaned, a clean, dry bedding is laid. Do not use a bedding material such as sawdust or the like. small particles will clog into open wounds and cause irritation and infection of the wound.

If you notice that the surgical site is severely swollen and reddened, contact your veterinarian immediately. He will carry out all the necessary manipulations to eliminate the resulting complications.

A neutered boar is not always better than a regular one (+ video)

Traditionally, the procedure for castration of boars is carried out for the sake of obtaining economic benefits. The meat of non-castrated animals is impregnated with the characteristic unpleasant odor of the gonads and is of lower quality. In addition, by the time of puberty, boars become very aggressive and may fight each other or attack humans. But is there really no alternative to this, frankly, not entirely humane method?

When to castrate boars?

Piglets are castrated at the age of 10-45 days. There are several opinions on the specific age. First, early castration is less painful for the animal. But here, too, there is no need to rush it, it has been proven that at the age of 14 days the procedure brings the piglet much less pain than at the age of 7 days. The advantages of early castration include both less blood loss and low resistance of the piglet, which makes work easier and does not require the involvement of an assistant.

Rice. 1. Pen for neutering piglets

If we talk about performing castration at a later date, there are advantages here. It is believed that non-castrated suckling piglets grow and develop faster. And performing this painful operation in the middle can negatively affect the nutrition of the piglets.

Important!

Castration should not be carried out simultaneously with deworming. All these operations should be performed at intervals of 2 weeks.

Whichever period you choose, remember that it is best to castrate 5-7 days before weaning, so that the wounds heal before the animal is transferred to a separate site.

Of course, adult piglets can also be castrated, but in this case, two points should be taken into account. As soon as a boar reaches a live weight of 100 kg, its meat is impregnated with an unpleasant odor. And second - the older the animal, the more painful the operation is for it and the longer the rehabilitation period. In addition, for adult boars, anesthesia or more complex fixation devices are required.

How to castrate piglets

The animal is fixed in the dorsal position. It is necessary to cut the hair on the scrotum, and treat the skin with alcohol or 5% alcohol solution of iodine. At an early age, boars are given local anesthesia, an adult animal is shown the intramuscular injection of a 4% azaperone solution, 1 ml for every 10 kg. weight.

The castration procedure is performed in two ways, open or closed.

Open way:

1. Castration by breaking the spermatic cord

It is used for boars aged 10-15 days.

Technology: the testis is captured between the index and thumb of the left hand and all tissues of the scrotum are cut with a scalpel, including the common vaginal membrane. The incision is made parallel to the seam of the scrotum, departing from it by 0.5-1 cm. After that, the exposed testis is removed and the transitional ligament is cut.

Rice. 2. Incision

Then the tissue is shifted with the left hand to the external inguinal ring, passing the spermatic cord between the fingers. The testis is grasped with the right hand, twisted along the long axis and somewhat pulled away from the abdominal wall. Then the spermatic cord is fixed with the left hand through the skin of the scrotal neck, twisted around the index finger of the right hand and pulled until the spermatic cord breaks. You can cut off with a sharp movement. The wound should be dusted with an antiseptic powder or lubricated with an antibiotic vaseline oil.

Rice. 3. Pulling the spermatic cord

1. Castration on ligature

It is used for boars aged 10 days and older.

Technology: after cutting the transitional ligament (see the previous castration technology) with the left hand, the dissected tissue is pushed back to the abdominal wall, passing the spermatic cord between the middle and index fingers. A ligature (silk, catgut, thread) is applied to the exposed spermatic cord. Departing from the ligature by 0.5-1 cm towards the testis, the spermatic cord is cut, the remaining stump is lubricated with a 5-6 alcohol solution of iodine or a solution of iodine with glycerin (1:10), and the edges of the wound with vaseline oil.

Closed way of castration

It is used for castration of adult animals or piglets with intravaginal hernias.

Technology: during the operation, the vaginal membrane is not opened. The membrane is separated from the surrounding tissues with a gauze swab. A ligature is applied to the spermatic cord with a common vaginal membrane, closer to the inguinal ring, and the testis is cut off below it. In a similar way, the second testis is cut off.

Chemical castration of boars

In early October 2013, a conference was held in France on the ban on castration of pigs in the EU countries. The event was attended by about 170 delegates from pork producers and food chains.

Avoiding castration for Europe means taking another step towards improving animal welfare and care. This procedure is very painful and causes severe stress in pigs, which cannot but affect the subsequent physiological state. In addition, the ethics of pig castration has long been highly questioned by animal rights activists.

In addition to the ethical side of the issue, surgical castration is the cause of many subsequent diseases of pigs associated with the inflammatory process.

Advanced Europeans in December 2010 adopted the "Brussels Declaration" where stakeholders from the pig industry in the EU spoke about stopping the surgical castration of pigs and replacing it with chemical castration using anesthesia and medical supplies new generation.

Piglet neutering (18+)

However, the main question that still remains open is the root cause of such close attention to the male dignity of boars - the unpleasant smell of meat.

As it turned out, this is not a problem for a long time. Currently, there are several methods for measuring the acceptability of the taste and odor of pork on the part of the consumer, one of which is chemical analysis.

The European Union, although it plans to take care of the well-being of piglets and save them from unnecessary suffering, will still strictly control the possibility of the appearance of meat with an unpleasant odor in stores. Today, the so-called "electronic nose" is practiced - a device that allows you to accurately separate parts of the carcass that have a characteristic boar odor.

German, Dutch, French, Danish farmers and industry organizations, together with the European Group for the Protection of Animals, have already developed an appropriate set of rules for the care of pigs, helping to get rid of boars from unpleasant odors without neutering. The technology includes special feeding methods, minimization of aggression during transportation and hunting, and the Decree will come into force in 2018.

Of course, it is still impossible to reliably say how effective such a technique will be and whether it will really help to rid boar meat of odor without surgical castration. Experts agree that such research takes time.

We read about technologies for obtaining a "happy pig"