Chemical castration of boars preparations. Stages of castration of piglets with your own hands. Goals that solve treatment problems

Castration is a special operation in which the gonads of a boar are cut out. This procedure is most often performed by a veterinarian. Of course, like any other surgical intervention, castration must be carried out with strict adherence to certain technologies.

Why are glands removed?

Small boars are castrated if they are intended to be raised for meat. Very often, for example, Vietnamese piglets are castrated in this way. The meat of this bacon breed of pigs is distinguished by its juiciness and tender consistency. But only if castration is carried out. The same applies to other meat animals. Sometimes adult boars not used in breeding are also subjected to the procedure.

This not too complicated event gives farm owners a lot of advantages:

The meat of such piglets does not have an unpleasant odor.

Neutered animals gain weight much faster. At the same time, farm owners spend less feed.

It has been noticed that castrated animals are much more resistant to various kinds of diseases.

There is another answer to the question of why piglets should be castrated. Sometimes such an operation is simply a necessary measure. They can be removed, for example, in case of inflammation of the testes, the appearance of an inguinal hernia, as well as in some other cases.

When is the best time to have surgery?

Veterinarians advise castrating piglets as early as possible. Most often, this operation is performed on 10-45-day-old pigs. The fact is that small piglets tolerate castration much easier than adult animals. In most cases, they are not even given anesthesia, and the operation itself is almost bloodless. In addition, a small pig experiences much less stress than an adult boar. Especially if it has not yet been weaned from the pig. In addition, substances contained in breast milk promote rapid healing of the wound. Small piglets usually do not experience any complications after surgery.

Thus, it is better to castrate young animals. Although there are no strict restrictions in this regard.

How to castrate piglets: basic techniques

Surgery to remove the gonads can be performed using several methods:

open surgical;

closed surgical

Various bloodless methods can also be used - using chemicals or x-rays. 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 using the first two methods, that is, through surgical intervention. Anesthesia, according to the rules for conducting such events, is not required. However, many veterinarians still give the piglet an injection first. In this case, the animal, of course, does not experience pain, therefore, it struggles less and recovers from stress faster.

Surgical removal of the testes can be performed on absolutely any pig. Vietnamese piglets, Siberian Whites, Estonian and any other bacon breeds are castrated this way.

Preparatory activities

Before starting castration of the piglet, the area of ​​manipulation is carefully inspected. There should not be any serious damage to the animal's skin. Next, use your fingers to determine the absence or presence of pathologies in the internal organs - hernias, tumors, etc. The nails of the veterinarian performing the operation should be cut short. Be sure to remove all hangnails as well. Of course, hands must be washed thoroughly. The operation to remove the testes is performed using sterile gloves.

Equipment and tools

Actually, the castration of piglets itself is carried out using a conventional medical scalpel. Special clamps are also used to stop bleeding. If you plan to castrate an adult animal, among other things, you should prepare a needle. You will need it to stitch up cuts in the skin. Of course, you also need to first prepare bandages, cotton wool and disinfectants. To ligate the seminal canals, you will need a special medical silk thread.

To castrate very active, restless piglets, in addition to standard tools, a special fixing machine is used. Very small animals are usually simply held by a veterinarian's assistant during surgery. All instruments used during surgery must be sterilized.

As already mentioned, an experienced veterinarian should remove the testes of wild boars. But sometimes farmers or homestead owners carry out a procedure such as castration of piglets with their own hands. This, of course, is only allowed if you have some experience or under the guidance of a specialist.

What you need to know

The 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 animal’s condition throughout the day. It is not recommended before surgery.

In no case should castration of piglets be carried out simultaneously with deworming or vaccination. It is necessary that at least two weeks have passed since the last two procedures. Animals are not castrated even if there is an outbreak of any infectious disease in the pigsty. For adult boars, the operation is performed no later than two months before slaughter.

Features of the technology

How is castration of piglets carried out? The price for this procedure is low (usually no more than 500 rubles), since it is not particularly complicated. After all the preparatory activities are completed, the actual operation begins. The piglet is fixed in such a way that during the procedure it cannot squirm away. Next, the hair on the scrotum is cut off. After this, the manipulation area is treated with iodine or alcohol. Next, the actual operation itself is carried out using the chosen technology. Four percent Azaperone is usually used as an anesthetic. For every 10 kg of animal, 1 ml of this product is required. Actually, the injection itself is given in the upper part of the inner thigh (into the muscle).

Open way

This method is usually used to castrate piglets under 15 days of age. It consists of the following:

The animal's testicle is grasped through the skin with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.

An incision is made into the scrotal tissue using a scalpel. In this case, the common vaginal membrane is also captured. The cut should be made in one sharp, precise movement. It should run parallel to the suture of the scrotum at a distance of approximately 1 cm from it.

The exposed testis is removed.

The transitional ligament is cut off.

The tissues are carefully moved towards the plow ring.

With the right hand, the testis is twisted along its long axis and pulled away from the abdominal cavity. In this case, the spermatic cord is fixed through the skin of the neck of the scrotum on the left.

The cord turns around the index finger and stretches until it breaks completely.

In this way, piglets 10-15 days old are castrated. For animals over 15 days old, the technology for performing the operation should be slightly different. In this case, after cutting the transitional ligament, the tissue is pushed toward the abdominal wall, and the cord is passed between the index and middle fingers. Then it is applied to the latter (with a medical knot). The cord is cut at a distance of approximately 1 cm from the dressing towards the testis. In both cases, at the final stage, the wound is treated with a disinfectant.

Closed method

This technique is usually used for castration of adult animals. In this case, the skin over the testis is incised without capturing the vaginal membrane. The latter is simply separated from the surrounding tissues using a cotton swab. The thread is applied simultaneously to it and to the cord; next to it, the testis is cut off.

after operation

Different piglets can be used. But in any case, after the operation the animal must be properly cared for. The piglet must be observed for at least five days. Of course, the animal must be kept in an absolutely clean enclosure. It is recommended to use hay as bedding. Sawdust should not be placed on the floor. Their small particles can get into the wound and cause inflammation. After surgery, the animal should be fed high-quality grain and root vegetables in sufficient quantities. The first time the trough in the pen is filled with food is a few hours after the operation. It is also impossible to give the animal water immediately after the procedure.

Complications after castration most often manifest themselves in the form of redness and swelling of the sore spot. If such a problem occurs, you should immediately seek advice from a veterinarian. Sometimes animals also experience early complications. In this case, the intestines or bladder may fall out. In this case, of course, you also need to call a veterinarian.

After castration, piglets can walk outside only if the wound is completely healed. The incisions are usually healed within 6-7 days.

Ethical side of the matter

In principle, castration is not a very painful procedure, and pigs usually tolerate it quite easily. However, the piglet, of course, experiences painful sensations during this procedure. Therefore, the question is being raised among farmers about the ethics of such a procedure. This problem is especially widely discussed in Europe.

German, French, Danish and Dutch farmers, in collaboration with representatives of the European Animal Welfare Group, even developed a set of rules for caring for piglets using a special technology to prevent the meat from developing an unpleasant odor, like a boar without castration. The technique includes special feeding methods, minimizing animal aggression during sexual hunting, etc. The decree on the introduction of new technologies will come into force in 2018. Of course, at the same time as their use, the quality of meat arriving on the shelves will be monitored. It is supposed to be checked for odor 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 already exists today.

This is the so-called bloodless technology, which involves the use of special hormonal agents. Under the influence of the latter, the gonads of piglets simply lose activity. Technologically, this method, of course, can be considered much simpler than performing an operation. However, hormonal drugs are quite expensive. In addition, their use deteriorates the quality of pig meat. That is why chemical castration has not become particularly widespread on farms. However, there is a possibility that new, more advanced hormonal drugs will soon appear, and all these problems will finally be successfully resolved.

Uncastrated animals are kept on farms quite often. Therefore, some pig breeders are probably interested in the question of what methods can be used to calm wild boars during heat. In this case, experienced farmers simply inject pigs with a one percent aqueous solution of platyphyllin. After injection with this drug, the animals completely calm down. Such injections are given at the base of the ear three times, at intervals 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 make his business profitable should know not only how to raise pigs, but also how to castrate. After all, be that as it may, at the moment, when raising piglets for meat, this procedure is necessary. If this is not carried out, the costs of feed and keeping animals will be much higher, and selling the meat itself will become much more difficult.

If you have decided to open your own pig farm, you will not be able to avoid a topic that has worried pig farmers since ancient times, namely, castration of piglets. What is this procedure, is it really necessary to carry it out, at what age should the animal be subjected to these manipulations, are there any specific techniques, do you need to contact a veterinarian every time or can you cope with this task yourself? You will find comprehensive answers to these and other questions in our article.

In pig farming, it is customary to castrate all males, except those that are specially retained for further breeding. Castration of pigs is considered necessary for two reasons:

1. Behavioral factor. When males reach a weight of 100 kg and enter the puberty phase, their behavior changes and is characterized by strong aggression towards each other. Farm workers find them much more difficult to deal with than their castrated peers.
2. Production factor. The meat of an uncastrated animal emits an unpleasant odor. This is explained by the following physiology. During puberty, the boar's glands secrete a hormone such as androstenone, and skatole is formed in the intestine. The first is a steroid that is formed in the seminal glands and accumulates over time in the saliva of the individual, where it is converted into a pheromone designed to attract sows. The second substance is produced by bacteria in the hindgut; penetrating the intestinal walls, it enters the blood through them and is then released into the adipose tissue. It is these substances that are released from the fatty tissues of the boar during heat treatment during the cooking process, as a result of which pork meat acquires an unpleasant odor.

Owners also need to know how many days old the piglet must be before they begin castration.

There is still no consensus on the age at which piglets are castrated. Of course, a small animal will resist less, and the blood loss will be much less than in an adult. But veterinarians have proven that a 7-day-old piglet is more susceptible to pain than a 14-day-old piglet. Early castration of piglets leads to severe stress for the animal, which will affect weight gain during adolescence. Uncastrated pigs develop better and grow faster.

It is recommended to carry out the castration procedure seven days before transferring the individual to a separate pen; this time is enough for the wounds to heal. It is also necessary to ensure that this procedure does not coincide with vaccination or deworming. The time interval between these manipulations should be at least 14 days. Also, piglets are not castrated if there is an epidemic of any infectious disease on the farm.

Description of methods

Castration is carried out in the morning, so you can monitor the animal’s well-being after the operation throughout the day. The main condition for this event is careful selection and testing of the piglets you are going to castrate. Conduct a study of the operated area. Carefully examine the skin - there should be no damage to the skin of the scrotum. Using palpation, establish the mobility of the vaginal membrane and the length of the spermatic cord; there should also be no damage, fluids or neoplasms.

When no affected areas of the epithelium are found in the genital area, then proceed to castration.

Castration of piglets involves the use of medical instruments, in standard cases these are an abdominal scalpel, hemostatic tweezers, Cooper scissors, anatomical tweezers, surgical tweezers, an emasculator, catgut, dressing material, silk threads, needles and a holder for them. All these devices must be sterile.

To carry out the operation, you also need to prepare your hands. 10-15 minutes before the start, you need to trim your nails, remove hangnails, clean the subungual space and wash your hands according to the Alfeld method (treat with disinfectant solutions for three minutes). When starting castration, wear surgical gloves.

Secure the piglet on its back, cut off the hair on the scrotum, treat the area to be operated with alcohol or alcoholic iodine solution (5%). If the boar is still small, give local anesthetic; an adult will have to administer an azaperone solution (4%) intramuscularly, 1 ml for every 10 kg of weight. Having determined how much painkiller to administer to the animal, you need to wipe the injection site with alcohol. The drug can be injected into the muscle of the upper inner thigh. It is best to do this when the animal is in a calm state.

There are two ways to perform castration.

The open method is breaking off the spermatic cord; To carry out this procedure, a special machine is used to castrate piglets. Once the animal is secured in it, you can begin the procedure.

Technology for pigs aged 10-15 days: grab the testis with the thumb and index finger of your left hand, make an incision in the scrotal tissue with a scalpel, while also grabbing the common vaginal lining. The top layer must be cut in one precise movement to prevent damage to adjacent tissues. The incision should be parallel to the suture of the scrotum at a distance of 0.5-1 cm from it. Remove the exposed testis and cut off the transitional ligament. Using your left hand, gently push the tissue toward the outer inguinal ring so you can pass the spermatic cord between your fingers. Take the testis with your right hand, twist it along its long axis and pull it away from the abdominal cavity. With your left hand, secure the spermatic cord through the skin of the neck of the scrotum. Turn the rope around the index finger of your right hand and pull until it breaks completely; this can be done with a sharp movement. Treat the wound with an antiseptic (you can lubricate the edges with Vaseline with an antibiotic).

It is necessary to cut only with sharp tools to prevent accidental damage.

Technology for pigs aged 15 days and older: until the transitional ligament is cut, do everything in the same way as described in the previous technology. Next, push the cut tissue towards the abdominal wall with your left hand, pass the spermatic cord between the middle and index fingers. Apply a ligature (thread used in dressing) to the cord. From the dressing site, step back 0.5-1 cm towards the testis. Cut the spermatic cord, and treat the remaining stump with a solution of iodine and glycerin in a ratio of 1:10; It is permissible to lubricate the edges of the wound with Vaseline oil.

Scheme of castration of piglets by breaking the spermatic cord

The closed method is used for adults or piglets with an intravaginal hernia.

Technology: in this case you do not have to open the vaginal membrane. Use a gauze swab to separate the membrane from the surrounding tissue. Place the ligature on the spermatic cord along with the common vaginal membrane near the inguinal ring. Cut off the testis below the ligature. Carry out a similar procedure with the second testis.

Post-operative care

Prepare pens for castrated animals in advance. The room must be thoroughly cleaned and fresh bedding laid. Do not use sawdust as bedding at this time; its small particles will clog into the wounds and cause inflammation. The postoperative period is five days, during which time you are required to monitor both the general condition of the animal and the healing of its wounds.

Castration can cause two types of complications.

• Early complications - appear a couple of hours after surgery and are characterized by significant loss of blood, prolapse of the intestines, bladder, and vaginal membrane.
• Late complications - appear 24 hours after surgery in the form of inflammation and swelling. This may indicate the appearance of vaginalitis, funiculitis, abscesses, gangrene and sepsis.

To prevent these complications from occurring, follow the rules for preparing for surgery outlined above. Pens must be clean, piglets washed and instruments sterile. In this case, each animal undergoes surgery with newly disinfected instruments. Castration is carried out subject to strict adherence to the chosen technology. After the operation, the pigs are not allowed outside until the wounds have completely healed - this is usually six days.

If you decide to buy a piglet for your small personal farm, then it, like other domestic animals, does not require castration, because already castrated individuals are sold on the market. But if you are a beginning farmer, you will have to come to terms with this procedure as a necessary inevitability. To begin with, it is best to prepare mentally and invite a specialist who will clearly show what’s what and teach you these simple manipulations. Perhaps very soon farmers will be relieved to leave this procedure in the past, since today the introduction of a chemical method of castration of pigs is being actively considered. This will be possible thanks to the use of special medications.

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. Then the surgical field is 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.

When breeding and fattening pigs, it is impossible to ignore such a procedure as castration of piglets. Most often, they turn to veterinarians to carry it out. However, for a long time, most pig farmers managed to carry out this procedure on their own. Today there are several methods of castration, and there are debates about the timing of its implementation. Let's try to figure out how to castrate piglets without unnecessary risk and harm and carry out this procedure correctly.

The essence and purpose of castration

Castration of pigs (emasculation) is most often a surgical operation consisting of forced suspension of activity or complete removal of the gonads. In addition to surgery, there are hormonal, chemical, and radioactive methods of castration.

At home, only the method of surgical removal of the gonads is applicable. This procedure is carried out at a certain age and causes significant changes in metabolism, a disruption in the animal’s hormonal background, which cause certain external deviations in the development of a castrated individual compared to non-castrated ones.

Let's look at the purpose of castration of piglets at home, and whether this problem can be solved in other ways.

Goals that solve hormonal problems

Piglets, like other animals, grow and mature. As they grow, the body's production of estrogens and androgens - sex hormones - increases. Various changes occur in the body of animals, which are often not only undesirable when fattening pigs, but also lead to direct economic losses.

1. In uncastrated animals, heat occurs regularly (monthly), which leads to overexcitation of pigs of both sexes, excessive anxiety, loss of appetite, and, as a consequence, loss of weight gain and deterioration in product quality;
2. Uncastrated boars that have reached puberty and are unsuitable for any reason for reproducing offspring can accidentally cover gilts;
3. Castration of boars prevents them from becoming aggressive in adulthood. They do not attack each other or people, and do not break equipment;
4. The meat of an uncastrated boar has a characteristic unpleasant persistent odor, which makes the product unsuitable for consumption. Therefore, all animals raised for the purpose of producing meat products must be emasculated.

Goals that solve treatment problems

Sometimes problems arise in pig farming that can be solved in a particular animal through surgery - castration. Indications for it may include diseases such as inflammation of the testes, hernia, some neoplasms and other pathologies. In this case, it is better to contact a specialist to make an accurate diagnosis and clarify the feasibility of this operation.

Goals that solve economic problems

1. Castration allows you to obtain high-quality products. After all, owners of uncastrated animals must constantly solve the main problem: how to remove the unpleasant specific odor from boar meat;
2. Makes it possible to obtain greater weight gain in animals at lower feed costs;
3. This operation facilitates group keeping of animals;
4. Castrated animals have better endurance and growth rates.

Time frame for castration

Modern research in the field of animal husbandry has shown that early castration - at suckling age - is tolerated most easily by piglets, with less blood loss and minimal complications. It is carried out on piglets aged from 10 to 45 days.

Let's look at the benefits of castration at an early age:

1. During this procedure, minimal effort is required to secure the animal;
2. Being with a sow, babies calm down faster and tolerate stress more easily;
3. At an early age there is no need to use painkillers;
4. Mother's milk contains the necessary antibodies, which have a positive effect on wound healing and the preservation of the immunity of small piglets;
5. Minimal blood loss during surgery;
6. Early emasculation leads to the fastest healing of surgical wounds;
7. Complications occur less frequently compared to castration of large boars;
8. Minimal use of medications;
9. Early hormonal changes lead to rapid growth and development of young animals.

It is better when this operation is performed by an experienced veterinarian, but, in exceptional cases, piglets can be castrated with their own hands.

Experts have several opinions on the question: at what age is it best to castrate piglets? In principle, this operation can be performed at different times, but the younger the pig, the less effort and assistants are required to carry out emasculation. It should also be taken into account that for fattening boars should be castrated before they reach six months of age. Otherwise, the manifested sexual instincts will persist even after castration and will make it difficult to keep pigs in common pens.

Preparing for surgery

Animals can be castrated at any time of the year. Depending on the time of day, it is better to organize this procedure in the morning, since you will have a whole day ahead of you for observation in the postoperative period.

It is important to note that castration cannot be performed simultaneously with other preventive procedures (vaccination, deworming, etc.). It is required to maintain a two-week break between any interventions in the animal’s life.

Animals to be castrated should be carefully selected and tested. It is necessary to conduct a study of the operated area. This procedure can significantly affect the surgical plan and will also help avoid possible complications. An external examination of the skin is carried out to identify possible damage to the skin of the scrotum. Next, using palpation, the mobility of the tunica vaginalis, the size of the testicles, the length of the spermatic cord, the presence of damage to the listed tissues, as well as the possibility of the presence of foreign contents in the cavity of the tunica vaginalis: fluid, omentum, neoplasms, intestines, and other things are determined.

Select and sterilize the instruments and devices necessary for castration. In standard cases, this operation may require:

• several belly scalpels;
• hemostatic forceps;
• Cooper scissors or straight;
• needle holder and needles;
• anatomical and surgical tweezers;
• emasculator;
• catgut, silk threads, dressing material.

In 10-15 minutes, prepare your hands for the operation. This procedure includes two stages: mechanical cleaning (clipping nails, removing hangnails, cleaning subungual spaces) and hand treatment using the Alfeld method (washing for 3 minutes, treatment with disinfecting solutions). Wear surgical gloves.

They begin castration of selected and appropriately prepared animals.

Methods of castration

In modern veterinary medicine, there are several ways to perform emasculation of artiodactyls. They can be divided into bloodless and bloody operations.

Bloodless operations include procedures that ensure the emasculation of boars and pigs without breaking the skin and introducing them into the body. These include chemical castration of boars, mechanical and radiological (X-ray radiation). These methods are quite expensive and their use on small farms is not economically profitable.

Bloody operations include all surgical interventions in the animal’s body, in which there is a violation of the integrity of the skin. These procedures can be closed or open.

Closed operations

Such procedures are prescribed only to very large or adult boars, as well as when a diagnosis of inguinal hernia is made. Castration is carried out no earlier than 2 months before slaughter, and also maintaining a two-week interval with preventive vaccinations.

Grooming of adult boars

It is important to securely fix the boar on its back, or in another accessible position, ensuring its immobility. The skin of the scrotum and adjacent skin is washed with soapy water, dried and treated with iodine solution. Then it is necessary to carry out local anesthesia with a 0.5% solution of novocaine. The skin of the scrotum is collected into a transverse fold and dissected so as not to inadvertently damage the vaginal membrane (characteristic bluish color). The testis is grasped along with the membrane, the skin of the scrotum is pushed upward. After this, the testis and the common vaginal membrane are rotated around their own axis by 360° and a stitching ligature is applied at a minimum distance from the inguinal ring. The spermatic cord along with the captured membrane is securely bandaged and cut off, departing 1 cm from the dressing. For better healing of the wound, tricillin or a medicinal aerosol "Chemi spray" is applied to it.

Scrotal hernia surgery

If a scrotal hernia is detected, it should be operated on as quickly as possible. The animal must be immobilized in the “lying on its back” position, raising the rear part of the body higher. The surgical field is prepared as described above. Skin incision is made near the hernial ring, maintaining the integrity of the vaginal membrane. The hernia is carefully separated from the contents of the scrotum. Typically, a hernia is an intestinal loop, the contents of which must be pushed into the abdominal cavity. The spermatic cord and testis, together with the vaginal membrane, are twisted 2-3 times. Care should be taken to ensure that the intestinal loop is not caught. The ligature is applied at a minimum distance from the hernial or inguinal ring, and the removed part is cut off. The remainder is securely bandaged again, and the wound is treated in the same way.

Open operations

These are the most common methods of emasculation of piglets at different ages. Depending on the weight of the animal, a special machine is used to castrate piglets or any available method of immobilization.

Castration for ligature

The piglet is fixed in any way, the hair on the scrotum is cut off and the surgical field is treated. Anesthesia is not used. With your left hand, grab the testis with your thumb and forefinger, slightly pull back the skin of the scrotum and make incisions on both sides of the suture, retreating approximately 1 cm. Take out the exposed testis, slightly pull it by the cord and apply a strong ligature to it. The testis is cut off below the dressing, the stump is cauterized with iodine, and the wound is treated in the manner described above.

Method of breaking the spermatic cord

This method is applied to small piglets from 10 to 20 days of age. The technique corresponds to the “ligature” castration method described above, but differs in that the spermatic cord is gradually pulled up and twisted until it is completely separated, or it is abruptly cut off, having previously been secured with a special clamp. The wound is treated with antiseptics.

Caring for animals after surgery

Only completely healthy animals can be operated on. After castration, boars should be monitored for 4-5 days. Particular attention should be paid to wound healing and the general condition of the animal.

Pens for castrated boars should be prepared in advance, cleaned and laid with clean, fresh bedding. During the postoperative period, sawdust should not be used for bedding, as its small particles can clog into wounds and cause inflammation.

In case of severe swelling or redness of the surgical field, you should contact a veterinarian as soon as possible, who can diagnose and help cope with the complication that has arisen.

Most often, already castrated piglets are sold on the market, but when breeding pigs, the farmer must be prepared to carry out such an operation. At what age you will castrate the animal, how you will castrate the boars - yourself or invite a specialist, open or closed method, bloody or bloodless - you choose. But, already at the planning stage of pig farming, you should realize that this procedure is necessary and inevitable, and you can only choose the most humane method in which the animals will receive the least stress.

Igor Nikolaev

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Any pig breeder should call for such a procedure as castration of boars. It is mainly carried out by veterinary specialists, but many farmers do it themselves. At what age should castration be performed? Which method should I use? We will try to answer these and other questions that arise in this area in this article.

The essence of the procedure

Castration of boars is also called castration. In most cases, the essence of this process is surgical intervention, the purpose of which is either the forced cessation of work or the complete removal of the animal’s gonads.

In addition to the operational (surgical) method, there are methods such as chemical castration, as well as radioactive and hormonal methods.

In household conditions, the surgical method is used.

Castration is carried out at a certain age. It causes a significant change in metabolism and hormonal imbalance, which subsequently leads to certain external deviations that distinguish a castrated animal from an uncastrated one.

Purposes of castration

As piglets grow, the body's production of sex hormones - androgens and estrogens - increases. This provokes various kinds of changes in the pigs’ body, which are often not only undesirable, but often unprofitable from an economic point of view. The main reasons why castration or sterilization is necessary are as follows:

• in non-emasculated pigs, sexual heat occurs every month, which causes excessive excitement of animals of both sexes, severe anxiety, deterioration or loss of appetite, resulting in loss of weight gain and a decrease in the quality of the resulting product;
• if castration is not carried out, then sexually mature boars, which for one reason or another are not suitable for use in reproduction, may accidentally enter into sexual contact with commercial or breeding sows;
• A boar castrated at an early age is not aggressive later. Emasculated males do not attack people or each other and do not damage buildings and equipment;
• the persistent unpleasant odor that pork obtained from an uncastrated boar has, has a characteristic unpleasant persistent odor, making this meat unsuitable for consumption. In this regard, all marketable meat males intended for fattening must be single.

In addition to the above, there are also medical indications. The need for surgical castration may be caused by inflammation of the testes, the appearance of hernias, some other neoplasms and other pathologies.

Castration in such cases is prescribed and carried out by a veterinarian based on an accurate diagnosis of the disease.

Important, and sometimes decisive, prerequisites for this procedure are economic reasons, such as:

• products obtained from castrated animals are of better quality. Solving the problem of the specific “flavor” of pork is an extremely difficult task for the breeder;
• emasculated boars have much better weight gain at lower feed costs;
• this operation eliminates a lot of problems associated with group keeping of pigs;
• borov (otherwise known as knur) demonstrates the best growth and endurance indicators.

Castration of boars. Dates

Modern pig breeders, based on scientific research data, recommend carrying out this procedure during the suckling period, since piglets at this age can more easily tolerate the operation itself and its consequences, blood loss and the risk of complications during early castration are minimal. The recommended age for the procedure is from 10 to 45 days.

The main advantages of early cooling:

1. the efforts required to immobilize the animal during surgery are minimal at an early age;
2. being close to their mother, piglets are more stress-resistant and quickly calm down;
3. An anesthetic is not needed during early stages of castration;
4. Mother's milk contains all the antibodies necessary for the speedy healing of wounds and for maintaining the immune system of the cubs;
5. blood loss is minimal;
6. healing of postoperative wounds at an early age occurs much faster;
7. the risk of any complications is minimal;
8. medications are used as economically and efficiently as possible;
9. changes in hormonal levels in the early stages of animal development accelerate the growth and development of young piglets.

It is preferable that this operation be performed by an experienced veterinarian, but in certain cases, if the pig farmer has sufficient experience, it is possible to castrate the piglets yourself.

Experts are divided on the optimal age for celibacy. In general, this procedure can be carried out at different times, however, the younger the boar, the less help and effort is required.

Do not forget about this important fact that animals intended for meat must be emasculated before they reach six months of age.

If this is done later, then even with the gonads removed, the males will retain the already manifested sexual instincts and will significantly complicate the group keeping of animals.

This operation does not depend on the time of year, but it does depend on the time of day. It is best to carry out castration in the morning, since there will be enough time to observe the piglets in the postoperative period.

An important point is that this procedure cannot be performed simultaneously with other preventive measures, such as deworming, vaccination and the like. The break between castration and any other effects on the pig’s body should be at least two weeks.

First, it is necessary to carefully select and test the animals to be castrated. You should also examine the area of ​​the future operation, which will make it possible to properly plan it and reduce the risk of complications. This examination includes a visual examination of the skin in the operated area and identification of possible damage to the skin of the scrotum. Then, using palpation, the degree of mobility of the vaginal membrane, the size of the testicles, the length of the spermatic cord are determined, and possible damage to the tissues listed above and the presence of foreign contents - intestines, omentums, fluid, various neoplasms, and so on - are identified.

Instruments and devices for the operation are thoroughly sterilized. Typically, castration requires:

Hands begin to prepare for the operation 10-15 minutes before it begins. First of all, nails are cut, hangnails are removed and the subungual spaces are cleaned. Then the hands are washed with soap for three minutes and treated with disinfectants (Alfeld method). Immediately before the operation, surgical gloves are put on.

How to castrate pigs? Existing methods

There are several methods for castration of boars in modern veterinary medicine. They are divided into two main types - bloodless and surgical (bloody).

Procedures of the first type provide emasculation of males and females without direct intervention in the animal’s body and without damaging its skin. Such techniques include:

• chemical castration of males;
• mechanical quenching:
• radiological technique (using x-rays).

An important point when choosing a method is the answer to the question - how much does such a procedure cost?

All of the above methods are quite expensive, as a result of which they are practically not used in small home and farm enterprises. The second type of technique includes all types of surgical operations in which the skin of pigs is damaged.

Such methods, in turn, are divided into open and closed interventions.

The most common methods of emasculation of piglets of different ages. To immobilize an animal, depending on its weight, either a special machine or any other immobilization method is used.

Castration for ligature

Having immobilized the animal in any available way, the stubble on the scrotum is trimmed and the surgical area is treated with a special solution. Anesthesia is not used. With the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, grab the testis, pull back the skin of the scrotum slightly and make two incisions on either side of the suture, keeping an indentation of about 1 centimeter. They expose the testis, take it out, pull it out by the cord and apply a strong ligature. Below the dressing, the testis is cut off, the stump is treated with iodine, the wound itself is sutured and treated.

Method of breaking the spermatic cord

This technique is used for piglets aged 10 to 20 days. The technique is similar to that described above, with only one difference: the spermatic cord is pulled up and twisted over and over again until it is completely separated. A sharp break is possible, but then preliminary fixation of the cord with a special clamp is necessary. The postoperative wound should be treated with antiseptic drugs.

Closed castration of boars

These types of procedures are used only on very large or already adult boars, as well as in cases of detection of an inguinal hernia.

The procedure is performed no earlier than two months before slaughter. You should not forget about the two-week break between the operation and preventive vaccinations.

The procedure itself is as follows: the boar is securely immobilized either on its back or in any other most accessible position. The skin of the scrotum and around it is washed with a soap solution, then dried and treated with iodine. Local anesthesia is administered (an injection of 0.5 percent novocaine solution is given). The skin on the scrotum is gathered into a transverse fold, which is then dissected. You should be careful not to accidentally touch the vaginal lining (it has a characteristic bluish color). After which the testis, together with this membrane, is captured, the skin of the scrotum moves upward.

Then the testis with the vaginal membrane is rotated 360 degrees around its own and a stitching ligature is applied, maintaining a minimum distance from the inguinal ring. The spermatic cord is securely bandaged and cut off together with the captured part of the membrane, maintaining a distance of 1 centimeter to the bandage. To speed up the healing of a postoperative wound, it is treated with either tricillin or medicinal “Chemi spray”.

How long after castration can a boar be slaughtered?

The answer to this question depends on the age of the boar at castration.

If boars are castrated within the recommended time frame, then they can be slaughtered immediately when they gain the required weight (usually at six to eight months). If a non-neutered dog is older than six months, then at least two months should pass after castration (or better yet, six months). If the boar is older than three years, then castration may not help at all and, even after the required period, you can end up with a smelly boar.