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In order to assess chronic stress in entire and castrated male pigs and to describe effects of a provision of grass silage in those pigs, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment comprising the factors castration, chronic intermittent social stress and provision of grass silage was carried out with 147 growing-finishing pigs from 25.6 to 102.1 kg body weight. The experimental design allowed investigating interactions between the three factors, but only few were statistically significant. Stress exposure consisted of repeated short-term confrontations with unfamiliar pigs and short-term separations. Carcasses of stress-exposed pigs had thicker back-fat, lower lean meat percentage and a different fatty acids composition of the adipose tissue. While entire males differed strongly from castrates in performance, carcass characteristics and adipose tissue properties, we found no evidence for an increased level of chronic stress in entire males compared to castrates. Provision of grass silage increased stomach weight and reduced dressing percentage, but did not impair performance, adipose tissue properties or meat quality.

In order to assess chronic stress in entire and castrated male pigs and to describe effects of a provision of grass silage in those pigs, a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment comprising the factors castration, chronic intermittent social stress and provision of grass silage was carried out with 147 growing-finishing pigs from 25.6 to 102.1 kg body weight. The experimental design allowed investigating interactions between the three factors, but only few were statistically significant. Stress exposure consisted of repeated short-term confrontations with unfamiliar pigs and short-term separations. Carcasses of stress-exposed pigs had thicker back-fat, lower lean meat percentage and a different fatty acids composition of the adipose tissue. While entire males differed strongly from castrates in performance, carcass characteristics and adipose tissue properties, we found no evidence for an increased level of chronic stress in entire males compared to castrates. Provision of grass silage increased stomach weight and reduced dressing percentage, but did not impair performance, adipose tissue properties or meat quality.

Yeast inoculation of dry fermented sausages manufactured with entire male fat was evaluated as a strategy to improve sausage quality. Four different formulations with entire male/gilt back fat and inoculated/non-inoculated with Debaryomyces hansenii were manufactured. The use of entire male back fat produced the highest weight losses, hardness and chewiness in dry sausages. Consumers clearly distinguished samples according to drying time and D. hansenii inoculation while the use of entire/gilt back fat was not highly perceived. The presence of androstenone and skatole was close to their sensory thresholds. Androstenone was not degraded during the process but skatole was affected by yeast inoculation. D. hansenii growth on the surface regulated water release during ripening, reduced hardness and chewiness in entire male sausages and resulted with similar texture to gilt sausages. Yeast inoculation inhibited lipid oxidation providing fruity odours and less oxidized fatty sausages in the sensory analysis. The effectiveness of yeast to mask boar taint was demonstrated by sensory analysis.