Intensive Farming

Pig Pain Management at Castration

Castration of male piglets is a routine practice causing preventable pain that better management and legislation is addressing.

Key Facts

Over 100 million piglets are castrated annually in the EU
Castration without analgesia causes acute pain with behavioral indicators lasting hours
Local anesthesia and NSAIDs significantly reduce pain during and after the procedure
Immunocastration using Improvac eliminates the need for surgical castration

Welfare Considerations

Piglet castration without pain relief causes acute pain indicated by vocalization, struggling, and post-procedure behavioral changes lasting several hours. The EU required pain relief for castration after 7 days of age from 2019. Immunocastration using Improvac provides effective boar taint control without surgical pain. These alternatives demonstrate that the welfare compromise of unanaesthetized castration is unnecessary.

What You Can Do

Support pork from farms using immunocastration or pain-managed castration
Advocate for mandatory analgesia in piglet castration regulations
Buy from producers committed to eliminating surgical castration
Back research into the welfare advantages of immunocastration adoption