Piglet castration without analgesia is one of the most prevalent painful procedures in livestock farming, with surgical castration performed on millions of male piglets annually.
Piglet castration causes acute pain that is clearly visible in cortisol elevation and vocalization during the procedure, and post-procedural sensitization lasting hours. The EU's failure to meet its own 2018 deadline for ending non-anesthetized castration means millions of piglets continue to undergo painful procedures each year that could be avoided through immunocastration or intact male production. Consumer pressure and retailer commitments have driven more progress than regulation in some markets.