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Castration is notably used to reduce pigs’ aggressiveness towards humans and facilitate handling. However, there are no scientific data to confirm this. We compared entire and castrated male pigs reared in a conventional or an enriched environment. Eighty males (groups of 10) were studied: 40 surgically castrated at 5‐6 days of age and 40 left entire. Half of each type was reared in a conventional environment (1 m²/animal, slatted floor) and the other half in an enriched environment (2.5 m²/animal, straw and outdoor run). We evaluated the pigs’ manageability during weighing and interactions with humans at 80 and 140 days of age in a testing pen. Animals from the enriched environment required less pushing to enter the weighing cage than those from the conventional environment.
During the experiment, no entire male expressed any aggressive behaviour towards the human
present. At 80 days of age, entire males stayed closer to the human for longer periods of time than castrates, and they reacted to the human’s departure with an increase in locomotor activity. Regardless of age, pigs from the enriched environment were less likely to stand next to the human than those from the conventional environment, and they vocalized more in the human’s
presence and after his departure.
These results do not support the bad reputation of entire males (aggressive, difficult to handle). Enriching the environment did not change the effects of non‐castration on the human‐animal relationship but did lead to less interest in the human involved in the experiment.
During the experiment, no entire male expressed any aggressive behaviour towards the human
present. At 80 days of age, entire males stayed closer to the human for longer periods of time than castrates, and they reacted to the human’s departure with an increase in locomotor activity. Regardless of age, pigs from the enriched environment were less likely to stand next to the human than those from the conventional environment, and they vocalized more in the human’s
presence and after his departure.
These results do not support the bad reputation of entire males (aggressive, difficult to handle). Enriching the environment did not change the effects of non‐castration on the human‐animal relationship but did lead to less interest in the human involved in the experiment.
C. Tallet, A. Brilloüet, V. Paulmier, M-C Meunier-Salaün, A. Prunier. Conséquences de l’élevage de porcs mâles entiers sur la relation homme‐animal en environnement conventionnel et enrichi. 43e Journées de la Recherche Porcine. 2011.
