TY - JOUR AU - Schmoll, F AU - Kauffold, J AU - Pfutzner, A TI - Growth performance and carcass traits of boars raised in Germany and either surgically castrated or vaccinated against gonadotropin-releasing hormone T2 - Journal of Swine Health and Production JF - Journal of Swine Health and Production J2 - JSHAP SN - 1537-209X DP - American Association of Swine Veterinarians PB - American Association of Swine Veterinarians DA - 2009/Sep// PY - 2009 VL - 17 M1 - 5 IS - 5 M2 - 250 SP - 250-255 L2 - https://www.aasv.org/shap/issues/v17n5/v17n5p250.html UR - https://www.aasv.org/shap/abstracts/abstract.php?v17n5p250 L1 - https://www.aasv.org/shap/issues/v17n5/v17n5p250.pdf KW - swine KW - boar KW - castration KW - gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccination KW - Improvac N2 - Objectives: To test the effect on male growth performanceand carcass traits in a typical German production operationcomparing vaccination against gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)with surgical castration early in life to control boar taint.Material and methods: Boars were either surgically castrated within the first week of life (G1; n = 91), vaccinated against GnRH (Improvac; Pfizer Animal Health, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) twice at 10 and 21 weeks of age (G2; n = 89), or not treated (G3; n = 12). Animals were slaughtered at 25 to 26 weeks of age. Growth performance (overall daily weight gain; G1 and G2) and carcass traits (% lean muscle, loin muscle, and backfat thickness; G1 and G2) were recorded, and intensity of boar taint was organoleptically assessed (G2 and G3).Results: Boar taint was observed in intact boars (G3) but not in vaccinated boars (G2) at slaughter 4 to 5 weeks after the second vaccination. The carcasses of G2 boars were significantly leaner and had less backfat than those of surgical castrates (G1). There was a tendency of G2 boars to have greater weight gain than G1 pigs during growing-finishing.Implications: Vaccination of boars against GnRH, as performed in this study, reliably controls boar taint and yields superior carcass traits when compared with surgical castration. ER -