Surgical castration of piglets causes pain and stress, and alternative approaches including immunocastration and selective breeding are advancing pig welfare.
Surgical castration of conscious piglets causes acute pain, stress, and post-operative discomfort. Millions of piglets undergo this procedure annually in many countries. Immunocastration provides equivalent taint control without surgical pain - the two injections required cause brief, minimal discomfort compared to surgery. The welfare case for transitioning away from surgical castration is overwhelming, and the technical alternatives exist. What remains is industry commitment and consumer acceptance of products from immunocastrated males.