1. PERFORMANCE OF PARTIALLY AND COMPLETELY CASTRATED PIGS
- Author
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J. G. Norrish, O. P. Miniats, G. H. Bowman, and R. H. Ingram
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Loin ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Castration ,Animal science ,Endocrinology ,Food Animals ,chemistry ,Odor ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Animal Science and Zoology ,business - Abstract
Sixty-six male pigs were allotted at random at birth to six castration treatments: partial castration at 6 and 26 days according to the Baiburtcjan method and complete castration at 6, 26, and 76 days and at 68 kg liveweight. No meaningful treatment differences were detected in growth rate or in carcass measurements (length, backfat thickness, loin eye area, percent lean in the ham face and percent ham of the side). The overall environment of the experiment limited growth rate of normal castrates to approximately 0.45 kg per day. The possibility of the environment dampening the expression of treatment effects cannot be precluded. The method of partial castration used was difficult to perform and more time-consuming than complete castration. It reduced testicular development bur did not eliminate it. Many of the partial castrates molested pen mates and sonic mated with gilts. Of 22 carcasses from partial castrates, 15 were detected as having odor.
- Published
- 1968
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