Surgical castration of male piglets is performed on most farms to prevent boar taint, but causes significant pain that increasingly demands mandatory analgesia.
The welfare case against unanesthetized piglet castration is among the most thoroughly documented in farm animal science. Piglets vocalize intensely, show stereotypic rolling, and demonstrate elevated stress hormones persisting for hours after the procedure. Despite clear evidence, most countries still permit and practice castration without pain relief due to cost and labor barriers. Immunocastration eliminates the welfare burden entirely and is increasingly used in Europe as a genuine alternative.