Surgical castration of male piglets is routine in pig farming globally, often performed without anesthesia. This causes significant acute pain and potentially chronic suffering, and humane alternatives exist.
Piglet castration without pain relief causes acute suffering that is among the best-documented welfare harms in animal agriculture. Piglets vocalize intensely during the procedure and show pain behaviors including muscle tremors, altered gait, and reduced activity for hours afterward. Surgical castration is performed to prevent "boar taint" — an off-flavor in some entire male pig meat — but alternatives exist. Immunocastration causes no acute pain and is effective; entire male production is viable with appropriate management. Consumer and retailer pressure has driven adoption of anesthesia and immunocastration in some markets, but surgical non-anesthetized castration remains widespread globally.