Slaughtering of entire male pigs seen from the slaughterhouse perspective

Abstract

Abstract Several challenges need to be taken into account before a full transition to slaughtering entire male pigs. To optimize welfare, entire male pigs should spend as short a time as possible in the pick-up facilities at the farm. At the slaughterhouse, there is no need to control the ratio between genders in the pens, as this has only minor effects on welfare. Boar taint detection must be performed, and an analytical on-line method is being developed. Rejection limits for skatole and androstenone must be set as a balance between the risk of consumers getting a negative experience on consuming the meat and the number of carcasses discarded. Smoking is a promising strategy for use of the discarded carcasses, and as much smoke as possible is recommended. Using spices and serving the meat in complex meals can also be a strategy to utilize boar tainted meat. In addition to boar taint, meat from entire male pigs is less tender and the protein content is lower than meat from castrates. In addition, the weight distribution of the carcass is different, with entire males having approximately 500g more weight at the fore-end and less at the ham. However, the meat percentages are higher in the entire males, and this can somewhat counteract the weight distribution.