Physiological and economic benefits of abandoning invasive surgical procedures and enhancing animal welfare in swine production.

ABSTRACT: Food-animal welfare is a major ethical and social concern. Pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, with over a billion pigs slaughtered annually. Most of these pigs routinely undergo painful surgical procedures (surgical castration, tail docking, teeth clipping), which farmers often reluctant to avoid, claiming it would increase cost and reduce production efficiency. Herein, this study indicates that these procedures compromise pigs' health and condition. Replacing surgical castration with immunocastration, avoiding tail docking and teeth clipping, and providing environmental enrichment, resulted in significant increase in weight gain, lowered risks for injuries and death, and reduced saliva and hair cortisol, both biomarkers for stress. Testosterone and DHEA analyses confirmed that immu

SUBMITTER: Morgan L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6834556 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature