Efectos de dos métodos de castración en parámetros productivos de cerdos en la granja foredha, Marcabeli.

Abstract

Pig castration is an ancient practice in swine farming, primarily aimed at preventing pork from developing a strong and unpleasant odor during the pigs' sexual maturity. Traditionally, surgical castration has been used as an effective method to control the organoleptic characteristics of the meat and to facilitate animal management. However, this technique has been criticized for being invasive and painful, raising concerns about animal welfare.In response to these concerns, alternative methods such as immunocastration have been developed. Immunocastration is a non-invasive technique that avoids surgical castration and allows for the production of odorless pork. This method involves administering a vaccine that inhibits testicular function, reducing the production of testosterone and skatole, thereby preventing the development of undesirable traits in the meat. Additionally, immunocastration contributes to improved safety in pig facilities by reducing aggressive behavior among males. The research focuses on offering swine producers a biological alternative for pig castration, highlighting productive benefits such as weight gain and economic profitability that justify the use of immunocastration. Swine farming, adaptable to different production levels, can significantly benefit from this method, improving efficiency and sustainability in pig production. The study compared the effects of two castration methods—surgical and immunocastration with Innosure and Ceva Valora—on productive parameters of pigs at the Foredha farm. The results indicated that, in terms of weaning weight at 21 days, surgically castrated pigs showed a higher average weight compared to the other groups. However, at 70 days, the immunocastrated pigs with Innosure showed a greater weight gain, surpassing those subjected to surgical castration and those treated with Ceva Valora. At 160 days, the immunocastrated pigs with Innosure reached the highest final weight, although the difference compared to the other methods was not significant. In terms of feed conversion, Innosure proved to be more efficient, requiring less feed to gain weight compared to Ceva Valora and surgical castration. These results suggest that, although surgical castration offers advantages in the early stages, immunocastration, especially with Innosure, may be more beneficial in the long term, both in terms of growth and feed efficiency. Moreover, immunocastration presents itself as a viable and ethical option, meeting animal welfare standards and improving the profitability of pig production.