Castration is a special operation in which the gonads are cut out of the boar. Most often, this procedure is performed by a veterinarian. Of course, like any other surgical intervention, castration should be performed with the exact observance of certain technologies.
Why are the glands removed?
Castration is carried out for small hogs if they are supposed to be grown for meat. Very often in this way, for example, Vietnamese piglets are sprayed. The meat of pigs of this bacon breed is juicier and has a delicate texture. But only subject to the implementation of castration. The same goes for other meat breeds of pigs. Sometimes adult boars that are not used in breeding are also subjected to the procedure.
Such a not too difficult event gives farm owners a lot of advantages:
The meat in such piglets does not have an unpleasant odor.
Castrated animals gain weight much faster. At the same time, farm owners spend less feed.
Keeping such piglets in groups is easier. Castrated boars do not experience sexual hunting, behave calmly and never fight. In addition, boars, deprived of valuable breeding qualities, are not able to accidentally cover the females.
It is noted that castrated animals are much more resistant to various kinds of diseases.
To the question of why castrate piglets, there is another answer. Sometimes such an operation is simply a necessary measure. The sex glands can be removed, for example, with inflammation of the testes, the appearance of inguinal hernia, and also in some other cases.
When is the best time for surgery?
Veterinarians advise castration of piglets as early as possible. Most often, this operation is carried out by 10-45-day-old hogs. The fact is that small piglets tolerate castration much more easily than adult animals. In most cases, they are not even given anesthesia, and the operation itself is almost bloodless. In addition, the little pig experiences less stress than an adult boar. Especially if it has not yet been taken from the pig. In addition, the substances contained in breast milk contribute to the rapid healing of wounds. No complications after surgery in small piglets usually do not occur.
Thus, it is better to castrate young animals. Although there are no strict restrictions in this regard.
How to castrate piglets: basic techniques
The operation to remove the gonads can be carried out according to several methods:
open surgical;
closed surgical.
Different types of bloodless methods can also be used - using chemicals or X-ray radiation. In the last two cases, the animal, of course, suffers much less. But such methods are quite expensive financially. Therefore, on farms, castration of piglets is most often performed nevertheless by the first two methods, that is, through surgical intervention. Anesthesia, according to the rules of such events, is not required. However, many veterinarians still pre-give the pig a shot. In this case, the animal, of course, does not experience pain, therefore, it breaks out less and moves away from stress faster.
Surgically, the removal of testes can be performed on absolutely any pigs. In this way, Vietnamese pigs, Siberian white, Estonian and any other bacon breeds are neutered.
Preparatory Activities
Before proceeding with castration of the piglet, the area of the manipulations is carefully examined. There should not be any serious injuries on the skin of the animal. Next, the fingers determine the absence or presence of pathologies in the internal organs - hernias, tumors, etc. The nails of the veterinarian conducting the operation should be cut short. Be sure to also remove all burrs. Of course, hands should be washed thoroughly. An operation is performed to remove the testes in sterile gloves.
Equipment and tools
Actually the castration of piglets itself is carried out using a conventional medical scalpel. Special clamps designed to stop the blood are also used. If an adult animal is castrated, among other things, a needle should be prepared. It will be needed for suturing incisions on the skin. Of course, you must first prepare bandages, cotton wool and disinfectants. For ligation of the seed canals, a special medical silk thread will be required.
For castration of very active, restless piglets, in addition to standard tools, a special fixing machine is used. Very small animals during the operation are usually simply kept by an assistant veterinarian. All instruments used during surgery must be sterilized.
As already mentioned, an experienced veterinarian should remove the testes to the boars. But sometimes, farmers or homeowners carry out such a procedure as castration of pigs, with their own hands. To do this, of course, is allowed only if you have certain experience or under the guidance of a specialist.
What you need to know
An operation can be performed at any time of the day. However, in practice, pigs are usually castrated early in the morning. In this case, the veterinarian or farm workers have the opportunity to monitor the condition of the animal during the day. Feeding pigs before surgery is not recommended.
Castration of piglets should in no case be performed simultaneously with deworming or vaccination. It is necessary that from the moment of the last two procedures at least two weeks have passed. Animals are not neutered even if there is an outbreak of an infectious disease in the pigsty. Adult boars are operated on no later than two months before slaughter.
Technology features
How is castration of piglets carried out? The price of this procedure is low (usually no more than 500 rubles), since it does not differ in particular complexity. After all the preparatory measures are over, proceed to the actual operation. The piglet is fixed in such a way that during the procedure he could not twist. Next, the hair is trimmed on the scrotum. After that, the area of manipulation is treated with iodine or alcohol. Next, the operation itself is carried out according to the selected technology. As an anesthetic, a four percent "Azaperone" is usually used. For every 10 kg of animal this product requires 1 ml. Actually, the injection itself is done in the upper part of the inner side of the thigh (into the muscle).
Open way
Piglets under the age of 15 days are usually castrated using this technique. It consists in the following:
The testis of the animal is captured through the skin with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
Using a scalpel, an incision is made in the scrotum tissue. In this case, the common vaginal membrane is also captured. An incision should be made with one sharp, precise movement. It should pass parallel to the scrotum suture at a distance of about 1 cm from it.
The naked testis is pulled out.
The transitional bunch is cut off.
Tissues carefully move to the arable ring.
With his right hand, the testis is twisted along a long axis and is pulled from the abdominal cavity. At the same time, the spermatic cord is fixed through the skin of the neck of the scrotum.
The cord rotates around the index finger and extends to a complete break.
Thus, castration of piglets of 10-15 days of age is performed. For animals from 15 days, the technology of the operation should be slightly different. In this case, after transection of the transitional ligament, the tissue is pushed to the abdominal wall, and the cord is passed between the index and middle fingers. Next,
silk thread (medical knot) is superimposed on the last one. The cord is cut at a distance of about 1 cm from the dressing towards the testis. In both cases, at the final stage, the wound is treated with a disinfectant.
Closed way
This technique is commonly used for castration of adult animals. In this case, the skin above the testis is dissected without trapping the vaginal membrane. The latter is simply separated from the surrounding tissue with a cotton swab. The thread is superimposed simultaneously on it and on the cord, near the inguinal ring. Next, the testis is cut off.
Caring for animals after surgery
Different methods of castration of piglets can be used. But in any case, after the operation, the animal must be properly looked after. Observe the piglet for a minimum of five days. Of course, the animal must be kept in a completely clean pen. It is recommended to use hay as a litter. Do not lay sawdust on the floor. Their small particles can get into the wound and cause inflammation. After surgery, the animal should be fed with high-quality grain and root crops. For the first time, the trough in the pen is filled with food a few hours after the operation. It is also impossible to water the animal immediately after the procedure.
Complication after castration most often manifests itself in the form of redness and swelling of the sore spot. If such a problem occurs, you should immediately seek the advice of a veterinarian. Sometimes an early complication is observed in animals. In this case, intestines or bladder may fall out. In this case, of course, you also need to call a veterinarian.
Piglets can walk on the street after castration only if the wound is completely healed. The cuts are usually tightened for 6-7 days.
Ethical side of things
In principle, castration is not a very painful procedure, and pigs usually tolerate it quite easily. However, the piglet experiences pain during the course of the course, of course. Therefore, among farmers, the question is raised, including the ethics of such a procedure. This problem is especially widely discussed in Europe.
German, French, Danish and Dutch farmers, in cooperation with representatives of the European Animal Welfare Group, have even developed a set of rules for caring for piglets using a special technology to prevent the appearance of an unpleasant odor in meat, like in a boar without castration. The methodology includes special feeding methods, minimization of animal aggression during sexual hunting, etc. The decision on the introduction of new technologies will come into force in 2018. Of course, simultaneously with their use, the quality of the meat coming to the shelves will be monitored. It is supposed to check it for lack of smell using a special device - an electronic "nose".
Alternative chemical castration
Whether the cultivation technology developed by European animal lovers without removing the testes will be effective or not is still unknown. Meanwhile, the answer to the question of how to castrate piglets painlessly exists today.
This is the so-called bloodless technology, involving the use of special hormonal drugs. Under the influence of the latter, the gonads of piglets simply lose activity. Technologically, this method, of course, can be considered much simpler than the operation. However, hormonal drugs are quite expensive. In addition, when they are used, the quality of pig meat deteriorates. That is why chemical castration is not widely spread on farms. However, there is a possibility that soon, nevertheless, new, more advanced hormonal drugs will appear, and all these problems will finally be successfully resolved.
Useful advice
Uncastrated animals are kept on farms quite often. Therefore, some pig farmers are probably interested in the question of how to calm the hogs during sexual hunting. In this case, experienced farmers just give the pigs an injection of a one percent aqueous solution of platifilin. After injection with this drug, the animals completely calm down. Such injections are made in the base of the ear three times, with an interval of a day. As in the case of surgical castration, the animal is fed only a few hours after the injection.
Of course, a farmer who wants to see his business profitable should know not only how to raise pigs, but also how to perform castration. Indeed, be that as it may, but at the moment, when breeding piglets for meat, this procedure is necessary. If it is not carried out, the cost of feed and animal welfare will be much higher, and selling the meat itself will become much harder.