When to castrate piglets age. Closed castration method. Can't do it without careful preparation

Raising pigs has become quite a popular type of livestock farming in recent years. Piglets are unpretentious and eat almost anything, thanks to this the average cost per kilogram of pork is low. But, in order for the event to be successful, it is necessary to know the development features and have the necessary skills to carry out operations. In particular, today we will talk about such a common manipulation in every pig farm as castration of boars

If pigs are not planned to be used for breeding in the future, it is recommended to castrate them. The intervention allows you to eliminate the unpleasant odor that is inherent in the meat of uncastrated piglets and is caused by the presence of a large amount of hormones in it.

If pigs are not planned to be used for breeding in the future, it is recommended to castrate them.

Another reason for the need for castration is that with age, pigs become aggressive and can start fights with each other and even attack people.

Pig farmers approach this issue in different ways. Some believe that it makes sense to castrate very young piglets aged from several weeks to several months. Others are of the opinion that it is better to wait until adulthood to perform the operation, and there are those who prefer to carry out castration immediately before slaughter. Each owner has his own opinion regarding the age at which pigs are castrated.

Each approach has its pros and cons. Young piglets endure pain much more difficultly, and their healing is worse. Opponents of early castration are also of the opinion that the intervention may be too stressful for the animals and this will affect weight gain during the weaning period.

On the other hand, surgery is much more difficult for mature pigs. Boars can weigh more than a hundred kilograms, so it is necessary to immobilize them. In addition, if castration is carried out immediately before slaughter, there is a risk that it will not be possible to get rid of the unpleasant odor.

Note! Castration is prohibited in conjunction with vaccination or deworming procedures. It is also worth delaying the operation if there is an outbreak of diseases on the household farm. It's better to wait until the quarantine ends.

Surgery is much more difficult for mature pigs.

There are two methods of castration: closed and open. The difference between them is in the way the operation is performed. With the open method, the groin area is opened; if the operation is closed, the groin area is not incised, and the spermatic cords are removed through the anus.

There are two methods of castration: closed and open.

Closed castration is performed on older animals or pigs that have had problems with groin infections in the past. Open castration is recommended for younger pigs because the healing process is easier for them.

If the piglet is young, you can do without anesthesia, but adult animals definitely need pain relief. The drug that will be used in this case, as well as its proportions, should be determined by the doctor.

It is better to do the operation in the spring or early summer, then it will not be too hot and there will be less bacteria. In this case, wound healing will be easier.

Adult animals must undergo pain relief.

Immediately before surgery, animals must be released outside to allow them to have a bowel movement.

Immediately after castration, boars should be kept in a dry and warm pen, free from drafts, until the wounds are completely healed, since any cold or other infection is associated with a weakened immune system of the animal, and this will inevitably lead to complications or even suppuration of the wound.

Before choosing a castration method, it is recommended to carefully examine the scrotum and external genitalia. If the inguinal rings are normal, castration can be carried out using the open method; if they are very wide, it is better to choose a closed method, otherwise this may cause a hernia.

It is recommended to carefully examine the scrotum and external genitalia.

Before surgery, it is important to thoroughly disinfect the groin area and external genitalia. Wash the external genitalia with warm water and soap. Tools must be individual for each animal and must be boiled after each castration.

Open castration

In open castration, the skin on the scrotum is cut so that the testicle can subsequently be removed through the incision. For small piglets it is torn off with tweezers or removed with a finger, while for older piglets it is necessary to separate the spermatic cord with a scalpel.

A silk thread is applied to the wound, retreating 1-1.5 from the edge of the cord, after which the wound is treated with antiseptic powder.

Important! Do not use iodine or alcohol for disinfection. The animal will feel itching and pain and may rub the sore spot on the floor or bedding and thus introduce the infection inside.

Closed castration is recommended for older animals or those with an inguinal hernia. If the operation is performed on old piglets, it is recommended to carry it out no earlier than three months before slaughter. Pigs can be castrated either in a lying or standing position. If the operation is performed on a standing pig, it is better to use local anesthesia, and if in a lying position, then general anesthesia can be used. An adult animal can be aggressive, so it is better to give it anti-stress medications before slaughter.

Closed castration is recommended for older animals

If the operation is performed in a standing position, it is worth immobilizing the animal in advance, otherwise the pain shock can cause quite serious injuries to the person performing the operation. If castration is performed standing, a special loop is placed over the pig's face, and it is better to bandage the legs to special wooden spacers.

The vaginal cavity must be separated from the tissues with a tampon, after which both testes are sequentially cut off with a scalpel.

The operation is quite stressful, so complications may arise after it or a few days later. They can be early or late. Early complications appear immediately after or within a few hours after surgery. Late ones may occur some time up to 7 days after the intervention.

Early negative consequences of the operation may include bleeding, prolapse of the omentum, and intestines from the vaginal membrane. All these problems practically do not appear in the later period after surgery.

Early negative consequences of surgery may include bleeding

A day or even a few days after castration, the pig may experience inflammation and swelling. This means the addition of an infection: vaginalitis, furunculitis, gangrene or sepsis.

Prevention of complications

In order to prevent the development of infection and other unpleasant consequences, it is necessary to carefully prepare the animals for the operation and the premises where the operation and recovery of the boars will take place. Pens and bedding must be thoroughly washed and disinfected with antiseptic solutions. Near the workplace there should be a washbasin and an antiseptic solution for wiping hands.

The day before the operation, castrated piglets need to be placed in a separate pen. They are thoroughly examined and at the slightest sign of disease, it is better to postpone castration. Only healthy individuals who have no signs of disease and with normal body temperature can be allowed to be castrated.

It is forbidden to let animals go outside for 5-6 days after the operation. The bedding on which the pig is located changes every day. It is worth examining the wound daily in order to identify possible problems in time and not aggravate the situation. It is very dangerous if water gets on the wound; you should carefully monitor it. so that the bedding is dry and the boar cannot knock over the drinker.

One of the most important points for preventing complications of varying severity is careful adherence to safety precautions.

Carrying out an operation by an amateur can be fraught with infections, so if you have the slightest doubt, it is better to contact a specialist who can perform the operation under the necessary conditions.

In Europe, these methods are often considered inhumane, so in the future a transition to chemical castration using drugs is not excluded.

Remember! Castration is a very serious intervention in the animal’s body, so its result can be a slowdown in the animal’s growth and average daily weight gain. If the technology is incorrect, the likelihood of infection with infectious diseases and other complications is quite high.

Traditionally, the castration procedure for boars is carried out to obtain economic benefits. The meat of uncastrated animals is imbued with the characteristic unpleasant odor of the gonads and is of lower quality. In addition, by the time they reach puberty, boars become very aggressive and can fight with each other or attack people. But is there really no alternative to this, frankly speaking, not entirely humane method?

When is the best time to castrate boars?

Piglets are castrated at the age of 10-45 days. There are several opinions about the specific age. Firstly, early castration is less painful for the animal. But you shouldn’t rush too much here either; it has been proven that at the age of 14 days the procedure brings much less pain to the piglet than at the age of 7 days. The advantages of early castration include less blood loss and little resistance from the piglet, which makes the work easier and does not require the involvement of an assistant.

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

Important! Castration cannot be carried out simultaneously with vaccination and deworming. All these operations should be carried out at intervals of 2 weeks.

Whatever time you choose, remember that it is best to castrate 5-7 days before weaning to allow the wounds to heal before transferring the animal to a separate area.

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 becomes saturated with an unpleasant odor. And secondly, the older the animal, the more painful the operation is for it and the longer the rehabilitation period. For adult boars, anesthesia or more complex fixation devices are also required.

How to castrate piglets?

The animal is fixed in a dorsal position. It is necessary to cut off the hair on the scrotum, and treat the skin with alcohol or a 5% alcohol solution of iodine. At an early age, boars are given local anesthesia; adult animals are given 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 methods

Castration by cutting off the spermatic cord. Used for boars aged 10-15 days.

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

Then, with the left hand, the tissue is shifted to the external inguinal ring, passing the spermatic cord between the fingers. With the right hand, grab the testis, twist it along its long axis and pull it slightly away from the abdominal wall. Then, with the left hand, the spermatic cord is fixed through the skin of the cervix of the scrotum, rotated around the index finger of the right hand and pulled out until the spermatic cord breaks. You can cut it off with a sharp movement. The wound must be powdered with antiseptic powder or its edges lubricated with petroleum jelly with an antibiotic.

Castration for ligature. Suitable for boars aged 10 days and older.

Technology: after cutting the transitional ligament (see previous castration technology), the left hand pushes the dissected tissue towards 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.

Indent from the ligature by 0.5 - 1 cm towards the testis, cut the spermatic cord, 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 petroleum jelly.

Closed method 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 placed on the spermatic cord with a common vaginal membrane, closer to the inguinal ring, and the testis below it is cut off. The second testis is cut off in a similar way.

Chemical castration of boars

At the beginning of October 2013, a conference was held in France on the ban on castration of pigs in the European Union. About 170 delegates from pork producers and food chains took part in the event.

Abandoning castration for Europe means taking another step towards improving the welfare of animals and caring for their emotional well-being. 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 have long been a source of strong doubt among animal rights activists.

In addition to the ethical side of the issue, surgical castration is the cause of many subsequent diseases in pigs associated with infection and inflammation.

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

Castration of a piglet video:

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 has not been a problem for a long time. Currently, there are several methods for measuring the acceptability of the taste and smell of pork from 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 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 the characteristic odor of a boar.

By the way, more about castration

German, Dutch, French, Danish farm and industry organizations, together with the European Animal Welfare Group, have already developed an appropriate set of rules for the care of pigs, helping to rid boars of unpleasant odors without castration. The technology includes special feeding methods, minimizing aggression during transportation and sexual hunting, as well as a mandatory friendly attitude. The resolution 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 rid boar meat of odor without surgical castration. Experts agree that conducting such research takes time.

In pig farming, castration of pigs is almost always an integral part of keeping them. Boars that go to breeding do not undergo this procedure. They single those who are for slaughter. This operation allows you to interrupt the function of the gonads partially or completely. Sometimes it is done according to indications. Various methods and techniques are used. With adult boars there are certain difficulties and nuances in this process. We will talk about all this later in the article.

Reasons to be single

Castration, or castration, is an operation that removes the gonads of an animal. Surgical intervention is used at home, as it is a well-proven and not too complicated option. Castrated boars are called hogs, and those that have not been castrated are called boars.

Typically, the testes are removed from newborn or young piglets. At an early age this is much easier to bear. However, operations are often performed on mature, mature individuals. Let's look at why they do this.

In general, castration brings only positive aspects:

• hog meat does not have an unpleasant smell or taste and is considered to be of high quality, unlike knur (boar) meat;
• wild boars become calmer, more balanced, do not show aggression, do not attack people and other pigs, and can be part of a herd;
• all females will be protected from males unsuitable for breeding in the event of an unplanned mating (there are breeding males for insemination in pig farming);
• hogs do not experience excessive excitement, which causes boars to lose appetite and weight.

The benefits are many, but ridding the pork of odor is paramount. Sometimes there are compelling indications for castration of an adult boar. This is a hernia, neoplasms, or any inflammation of the gonads.

Sometimes sows are sterilized. The operation is expensive and complicated. After it, the increase in meat is insignificant. A pig can fatten itself only for lard.

Successful timing

It is advisable to castrate boars at an early age. If a piglet is fattened with bacon, then until it reaches two months. All others need to be single for up to 6 months so that they have no sexual instincts left (details in the article). A boar sent for slaughter must undergo the procedure within 1.5-2 months. For better results, you can wait 6 months.

If a boar is castrated after six months of age, there is a risk that it will show aggression, since the process of puberty has already begun.

12-20 hours before castration, boars should not be fed with compound feed and roughage. A little hay or grass is allowed. But you can have a lot of water. The animal must be walked for bowel movements to occur.

There are no clear restrictions on the time of year, but not hot, cool periods are welcome. Animals are adversely affected by harmful insects, which can cause wound infection and delay healing.

Other procedures for pigs, such as deworming and vaccinations, are carried out two weeks apart.

Do not castrate pigs during outbreaks of various infectious diseases.

Surgical and bloodless methods

A boar can be castrated in different ways - closed and open methods. It all depends on age, the presence of any complications and indications. There are methods that may seem quite expensive, but there are those that can be done without financial investment with your own hands. Let's take a closer look at each method.

The open option includes castration by ligature, which is performed on a piglet aged 10 days or older. There is also a method of breaking the spermatic cord, but it is practiced on newborn babies who are no more than 15 days old.

The closed (bloodless) option also includes several different ways to stop the activity of the gonads. One of them is called immunological castration of boars. It is carried out using the drug “Improvac”. The medicine affects the performance of the testicles and leads to their regression.

The boar is given an injection subcutaneously, behind the ear (2ml). The interval between injections is at least four weeks. The second injection must be given 1-1.5 months before slaughter. Chemical castration makes animals less aggressive and removes the unpleasant odor of meat products. This bloodless method, which affects the functioning of the immune system, is considered more humane, but requires financial costs and therefore is practically not used in home farms.

We will tell you below how to castrate adult, large boars using a closed surgical method.

Before the procedure

Closed castration of boars can be performed with the animal lying or standing. Before the procedure, you need to conduct an examination of the genitals. Before this, the male is secured using ropes. All limbs need to be tied. It is convenient to work if you have a castration machine, but it is usually used for small individuals. And for larger ones, a large barrel will do, as will any tight space.

When examining the animal's genitals, no damage to the skin or wounds should be detected. The hair on the operated surface is cut off, after which the area is washed and smeared with iodine for disinfection.

The tools that will be needed for castration are a scalpel, surgical scissors, a needle and special threads. Everything can be disinfected with any alcohol-based product. Antiseptics are prepared for treating the wound. Adult boars need to undergo general anesthesia (during surgery, in a lying position) or local anesthesia (in a standing position). In the second option, the animals are additionally given sedatives.

The person who performs the boar castration procedure must wash their hands thoroughly and wear sterile gloves.

Under anesthesia

When everything is ready for the operation, anesthesia of the pigs is of greatest importance. Adults are strong and need to be calmed down.

When it is planned to emasculate a boar in a supine position, intravenous anesthesia with Thiopental-sodium or Pentothal-sodium is used. These are 5% solutions that are administered at a dose of 15 mg/kg of pig weight. First, the animal is calmed down by intramuscular administration of Azoperon (1 ml/10 kg of weight). After 15 minutes, half of the anesthesia is injected, and after the eyelids close, the second half is injected.

Anesthesia lasts 15-20 minutes. If necessary, this condition can be prolonged with a third dose. After castration, the hog's sleep will last another 2-3 hours.

If the boar is castrated standing, then local anesthesia is given. A solution of novocaine 4% is injected into the thickness of the spermatic cord. Dose – 10 ml. For additional effect, it is advisable to inject the same drug subcutaneously into the place where the scrotum will be cut. Before the anesthetic injections, the boar is given a sleeping pill. It could be an antipsychotic, the name of which is “Stresnil”. A dose of 0.5 mg/kg simply calms, and after 2 mg/kg the animal will fall asleep.

Further sequence

Once the anesthesia process has started, castration can begin. With your left hand you need to grab the testis, and with a scalpel cut the skin of the scrotum and the common vaginal membrane. Next, the vaginal ligament is torn, and the spermatic cord must be separated from the membrane. A ligature is applied to the thinned part. After this, scissors should be used to cut off the testes two cm from the dressing.

There is another way - closed. It is most often used for adult animals. In this case, the skin on the scrotum is cut, but without capturing the vaginal membrane, and moved away.

By hand you need to rotate the testis together with the vaginal membrane around its axis. After this, a ligature is placed on it and on the spermatic cord, near the inguinal ring. Now the testis with part of the shell can be cut off.

If the incisions on the scrotum are large, then they need to be sewn up using thread and needle. This applies in the two cases described. Next, the wound is treated with Tricillin.

Hog care

A castrated boar must undergo proper post-procedure care. First of all, rest and observation of the animal is ensured for several days. Sawdust bedding should not be used, as it can cause wound infection. It needs to be lubricated with bactericidal agents.

If the boar experiences swelling and redness in the operated area, then you need to seek help from a veterinarian. Early and late complications are also possible. For example, open bleeding. If it is droplet, then it is from the vessels of the scrotum, and if it is jet, then it is from the vessels of the spermatic cord. In the first case, tamponing can help, but in the second, it is necessary to apply a ligature to the spermatic cord.

A castrated male pig is susceptible to a complication such as intestinal prolapse. This is perhaps the most dangerous. The small intestine (its loops) may fall out of the wound formed after castration.

To provide assistance, the pig must be under anesthesia and in a supine position. First of all, you need to cleanse the intestines of dirt. It is washed with an isotopic solution of sodium chloride and rivanol (1:1000). Next you need to stretch the vaginal membrane in the form of a funnel. The intestines are reduced into the abdominal cavity.

After this, the membrane is separated from the tissues of the scrotum and twisted with the spermatic cord. A stitching ligature is applied. This action resembles closed castration.

The animal is prescribed antibiotics and novocaine blockade of nearby nerves. To prevent intestinal prolapse, the boar should not be kept on a long-term starvation diet before castration.

Prevention of complications

To prevent complications after castration, you need to use antiseptics for instruments and for treating wounds.

Instruments can be sterilized in a special apparatus, and metal ones can be burned with alcohol. To do this, they are placed in a basin, doused with an alcohol solution and set on fire. After burning, all items are disinfected. Various fabrics and bandages are processed with an iron.

Castration or emasculation is the artificial interruption of the function of the sex glands. It can be carried out using various methods and for a variety of therapeutic or economic indications. Most often, castration is performed by removing the gonads. In males, such methods are also used, as a result of which the functioning of the sex glands is partially or completely disrupted. This is achieved by using chemicals, hormonal drugs or radioactive radiation. Immunological sterilization is currently being attempted.

Of greatest importance is surgical sterilization, which is the most important business operation.

This procedure causes dramatic changes in the metabolism of the animal’s body and, in connection with this, peculiar morphological deviations in its development. Let's look at what medicinal and economic goals are achieved with its help.

Purposes of castration

As pigs and pigs 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 when raising pigs.

These include:

• The occurrence of sexual heat, which repeats every month. During the hunt, animals of both sexes are in an excited state, restless, eat food poorly, which leads to weight loss and deterioration in the quality of meat.
• Accidental insemination by unsuitable males.
• Uncastrated wild boars (boars) become aggressive and quite dangerous as they grow older. Such animals can attack each other, cause very serious injuries, break equipment, cages, etc. Such animals become dangerous to people.
• Non-castrates develop a persistent, unpleasant, pungent odor that permeates the meat, which makes it practically inedible in its pure form or requires special processing, so all individuals going for fattening must be single.

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

The economic indication for surgery is:

• obtaining meat of higher quality (more tender, better chemical composition, odorless and specific taste, etc.);
• less feed consumption during fattening while achieving greater weight gain;
• fattening 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 (of suckling age) - at the age of two weeks, and even better in the first days of life. In this case, the operation will be tolerated by the young animals as easily as possible, with minimal blood loss and without complications. The wounds will heal very quickly and the piglets will get stronger very quickly afterwards. Such early emasculation has a beneficial effect on the further growth and development of castrates.

Benefits of early castration

• Its implementation requires minimal restraint of animals.
• Piglets calm down faster when under the uterus.
• No anesthesia required.
• Mother's milk provides the necessary amount of protective antibodies, which strengthens the baby's immunity.
• There is minimal blood loss. Wounds heal much faster.
• Complications rarely occur.
• Medication consumption is minimal
• The growth and development of young animals becomes faster.

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

Methods of castration

Currently, several methods are known for drying wild boars and pigs. All of them are divided into bloody and bloodless operations.

Bloody castrations include all types of castrations in which the integrity of the skin or any membranes or organs is violated. They are closed, open and partial.

Bloodless includes emasculation by other methods, without introduction into the body. There are chemical, mechanical castration and using X-rays.

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

Let's consider bloody methods of emasculation: closed and open methods.

Closed methods

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

The operation is planned no later than two weeks before and no earlier than this period after the completion of preventive vaccinations against infectious diseases, as well as no less than two months before slaughter.

• Skinning old boars.

The boar is securely fixed on its back or in another way. At the same time, a loop of strong rope is thrown over the upper jaw, which is then pulled through the ring. Fixed 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 iodine tincture is applied. Treatment with iodine has two purposes: disinfection and tanning of the skin 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 into a fold (transverse) and a careful dissection is made. So as not to damage the common tunica vaginalis (the membrane covering the testis). It is easily recognized by its bluish tint. Then, the testis is grabbed directly through it, the skin of the scrotum is pushed upward, towards the abdominal wall. Afterwards, the testis, together with the outer membrane, is turned around itself once and sutured with a ligature as close as possible to the inguinal rings. After reliable ligation, they retreat about one centimeter from this place and cut the spermatic cord along with the membrane. Afterwards, Tricillin powder is applied to the wound and a medicinal aerosol, such as Chemisprey, is sprayed.

• Castration of boars with scrotal hernia.

It is advisable to operate on hernias at an early age. Before the operation, the animal is fixed in a supine position with its hind end elevated. Then the surgical field is prepared in the same way as described above. The surgical field is numbed. The skin opposite the hernial ring is incised, while maintaining the integrity of the vaginal membrane. It is then carefully separated from the skin of the scrotum using gauze pads to prevent slipping. Next, the contents of the hernia (most likely an intestinal loop) are pushed back into the abdominal cavity. In this case, the testis, tunica vaginalis and spermatic cord are twisted around themselves two or three turns, making sure that the intestinal loop does not get in here. A ligature is sewn as close as possible to the inguinal or hernial ring and cut off. The stump is securely sutured again. The surgical field is then treated with an antibiotic and a protective aerosol is applied.

• Partial castration.

To do this, the boar is strengthened in a dorsal position. The incision is made in the same way as with the open method of emaciation. Only in this case, after dissection of the vaginal membrane, the ligament that connects the appendage to the testis is not cut, due to which the testis remains well fixed. Afterwards, the tunica albuginea of ​​the testis itself is dissected by about 2 cm and, squeezing the parenchyma of the testis with the fingers, squeezes it through the incision area, leaving only about one third of it. Then it is cauterized 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 stop completely.

Open methods

• Castration for ligature.

Boars aged 60 days and older are bred using this method. But more often, wild boars 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 lying position on various devices (a bench, a special machine, on an inclined board, or on a table). You can fix the piglet on its back, bringing all four limbs together. No anesthesia is used. The hair on the skin of the scrotum is cut off, and then the incision sites are treated with any antiseptic. Next, with your left hand, grab the testis between two fingers (index and thumb), strain the skin of the scrotum and make a cut with a scalpel in all its tissues, including the vaginal membrane itself. The incision is made with a scalpel in parallel on both sides of the suture of the scrotum, retreating about one centimeter on each side.

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

• Castration using Zand forceps.

This technique is used in adult boars. The forceps are applied to the exposed spermatic cord and, squeezing it, crush it. It is then unscrewed until it comes off. 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 10-20 days old. Its technique corresponds to the “ligature” method, but in this case, the spermatic cord is pulled up and twisted until it is completely separated, or it is cut off with a quick jerk, having first secured the spermatic cord 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 pigs

In cold pigs, 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%, and the quality of meat and lard is noticeably improved. It is recommended to castrate pigs with a live weight of about 60 kg for further fattening. With the bacon type of fattening, it is not economically justified to celibate pigs.

The technique of sterilizing pigs is quite complex and is used extremely rarely.

Pig farming is one of the economically profitable branches of animal husbandry, due to the rapid fattening of pigs in a relatively short period of time, good slaughter yield (up to 80% of live weight) and excellent taste of raw meat. To do this, large pig-breeding complexes and farms carry out mass castration of piglets.

Castration

Castration can be performed at any age, from small piglets to adult boars. Boars are castrated more often and pigs are castrated less often, since in pigs this is considered a full-fledged abdominal operation and caring for such an animal is very difficult. After castration, physiological changes occur in the animal’s body, metabolism changes, the animal eats more actively and quickly gains weight, with minimal costs for its nutrition and maintenance. In addition, castration is one of the ways to prevent certain diseases: scrotal hernia, inflammatory diseases of the gonads of an infectious nature.

Castration of small boars is carried out from the age of ten days until they are weaned from the sow. Early castration of piglets 3–5 days old can lead to developmental delays and slower weight gain. Therefore, the most optimal age for castration is considered to be piglets that have reached two weeks of age and older, since they can more easily tolerate pain and the post-castration inflammatory period. They rarely experience complications: bleeding, prolapse of the vaginal membrane, omentum, and intestines.

With the bacon type of fattening, piglets are castrated before they reach two months of age, and with conventional fattening - no later than six months. Therefore, Vietnamese piglets are castrated early enough to preserve the taste and delicacy of their bacon meat.

Adult boars can also be castrated, but they will have to be slaughtered no earlier than two months after castration. This time is needed for the specific smell of the secretions of the sex glands to be removed from the body, and the meat to acquire a pleasant smell and aroma.

To castrate small animals, special equipment is used - a machine for castrating piglets, which reliably fixes the piglet, immobilizes it as much as possible, which opens up access to surgical intervention and does not require the use of an assistant. You can buy a branded, ready-made metal machine, but it is expensive, or you can replace it with a wooden one by making it yourself. But for castration of gilts and adult boars, such a machine is not suitable in size (Figure 1).

Methods of castration

There are bloodless and bloody methods of castration of pigs. Bloodless methods include chemical castration using chemicals or x-ray irradiation, in which there is no violation of the integrity of the skin and direct penetration into the animal’s body. This is a rather expensive method, so it is used in isolated cases for valuable breeds of animals.

With the bloody method, the integrity of the skin and tissues underlying it is violated, which is accompanied by bleeding. There are two methods - open and closed.

Small piglets are castrated openly with the testicular cord broken or a castration loop applied, and older piglets are castrated with a ligature.

At home

To carry out castration at home, it is better to invite a specialist or experienced person, and act as an assistant yourself. First you need to prepare the room where the piglet will be after castration: thoroughly clean it of dirt, sweep it and put in large hay or straw.

It is important to secure the animal in any possible way - place the piglet with its back to your lap, bringing the hind and front limbs together and bringing them closer together, or squeeze the body between the knees and spread the hind limbs to the sides.

For small suckling piglets, an open method of castration “on a break” of the spermatic cord is used. To do this, the scrotum is first washed to remove dirt, dried and treated with 5% iodine tincture.

There is no need to anesthetize small piglets. The testis is grasped and securely fixed between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. It is necessary to cut the skin of the testis along, parallel to the median suture, using a surgical knife (scalpel) and trying in one movement to cut all the underlying tissue (the common vaginal membrane) and pull out the testis suspended on the spermatic cord. After this, you need to disconnect the inguinal ligament from the testis, which connects it to the common vaginal membrane, twist the cord clockwise several times using your index finger and make a sharp jerk, thereby separating the testis. Treat the open wound with an antiseptic aerosol or powder. Carry out this manipulation with the next testis.

For monthly and older piglets, when the testis is exposed, a castration loop or clamp is applied to the spermatic cord to stop the bleeding, after which the testis is cut off below the bandaged area, followed by disinfection of the stump with iodine and treatment of the wound, as for small piglets.

After castration, during the first day and a whole week you need to monitor the condition of the animal, treat the wounds with a solution of brilliant green and monitor the sanitary condition of the premises, promptly cleaning from contamination.

Adult castration

Castration of adult boars, as well as if they have a pathology (inguinal hernia), should be carried out only in a closed manner, without incision of the common vaginal membrane, since they may experience severe bleeding during and after the operation. This operation can be seen in the video.

Surgical instruments and products used for castration

To carry out castration of an adult animal, a specialist must have the following surgical instruments and means in his arsenal:

• surgical pointed or abdominal scalpel;
• scissors straight or curved;
• hemostatic clamps;
• surgical needles and needle holder;
• forceps (emaskulator);
• disposable syringe; bandages; cotton wool; silk thread; disinfectants (iodine, powder with iodoform); drugs to immobilize the animal (rometar, xylazine).

Sterilization of instruments is a mandatory procedure before castration of adult boars. All instruments must be sterilized by boiling and treated with a disinfectant.

With the help of assistants, the animal is felled and the limbs are secured with a rope. Then an anesthetic injection with a 0.5% solution of novocaine is injected into the skin of the animal’s scrotum, and to anesthetize and calm the animal, a 2% solution of xylazine or Rometar is administered intramuscularly, with the amount of solution calculated based on the live body weight (0.025 ml per 1 kg of live weight).

Before performing surgical access, the doctor must clean the hands and the surgical field. To do this, wash your hands with soap, treat the nail holes with iodine solution or other disinfectant, and wear gloves. Preparation of the surgical field includes washing the skin of the scrotum to remove dirt, shaving the stubble and treating with iodine tincture.

The method of castration of adult boars is the same as that of small piglets, but it has its own characteristics. The incision in the skin of the scrotum must be made carefully so as not to open the common vaginal tunic. It should be sufficient to allow the testis to be pulled out. A ligature of silk thread is applied to the testicular cord using a needle and needle holder, and forceps are applied below. After this, the testicular stump is treated with an antibacterial aerosol and the bleeding is stopped. The second testis is treated in the same way. Wound pockets are treated with powder. It is recommended to close the wounds by applying several stitches to the skin of the scrotum. After the operation, you need to monitor the animal’s condition all day long, since bleeding can very often occur. If complications occur, you should definitely consult a doctor for help. Healing of post-castration wounds can take a whole week or more, so it is not recommended to let animals outside early.