Expert list Piglet castration

Since 1 January 2021, piglet castration without anesthetics has been prohibited in Germany according to the Animal Welfare Act. There are alternatives. Immune castration is a mature and marketable procedure that is the best option from the point of view of animal welfare. However, all methods also have specific advantages and disadvantages. Researchers from the University of Hohenheim provide information about the various methods and their consequences for animals, farmers, and consumers.

What alternatives are there to piglet castration without anesthetics? What are the pros and cons?

Boar fattening is one of the alternatives to piglet castration done without anesthetics. What are the challenges of boar fattening? Surgical castration under general or local anesthesia - what are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods? How does immunocastration, vaccination against boar taint, work? How reliable are the individual methods and how practical are they? Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski explains methods, possibilities, and background information.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22455, email

From an animal welfare perspective, which method should be preferred?

In the current discussion, animal welfare aspects are not always presented objectively - depending on the point of view, some things fall by the wayside, while others are emphasized. Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski helps with facts and figures from independent studies to better assess the effects of the procedures on animal behavior and health.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22916, email

What is immunocastration?

Immunocastration is a sophisticated method that is currently the best alternative to castration without anesthesia from the point of view of animal welfare. How does the process work? How reliable is this method for eliminating boar odor? How does immunocastration affect the behavior and immune system of the animals? Why is immunocastration currently the gold standard from an animal welfare perspective?

Contact: Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22455, email

How does the procedure affect the animals’ health?

All the different methods affect the health of the animals in different ways. Does the gut microbiome show changes? Do more stomach ulcers form, as a sign of stress? How high is the risk of injury in each case? How reliable are surgical castration procedures under general or local anesthesia in terms of analgesia? Is there an increased risk of infection with surgical castration? Answers to these questions are provided by the veterinarians Prof. Dr. Ludwig Hölzle and Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ludwig Hölzle, Department of Infection and Environmental Hygiene with Livestock, +49 711 459 22427, email

Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber, Department of Functional Anatomy of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 23998, email

Does a departure from previous practice pose a threat to agricultural operations?

How harmful is it for the operations if they can no longer carry out piglet castration without anesthetics? How much additional work do the various methods mean for piglet producers and fatteners? Are there special dangers, e.g. accidentally vaccinating oneself with the immunocastration? What are the costs? Are there still buyers for the animals? Many questions still seem unresolved for the farmers currently. Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski gives answers to these open questions.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22455, Email

Will the quality of the meat be negatively affected?

How can you recognize the taste and smell of boar meat? What percent of boars are even affected by this? Can everyone smell it? What substances cause the typical “boar odor,” and are they harmful to human health? Do the other alternatives affect the enjoyment and quality of the meat? These questions can be answered by apl. Prof. Dr. Donatus Nohr.

Contact:
apl. Prof. Dr. Donatus Nohr, Department of Nutritional Science, +49 711 459 23691, Email

How do the expert and mass media report on the topic?

How has public discussion of castration without anesthetics and its alternatives gone so far? And how could it develop further? What topics are in the focus of public discussion? Who are the key stakeholders? And what do they think of the alternatives? Communication scientist Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider examined these questions using content analyses and stakeholder surveys.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Frank Brettschneider, Department of Communication Science: Communication Theory, +49 711 459 24030, Email

Will pork be more expensive in the future?

What procedures will cost how much more? Who will pay for this - the piglet producers, the fatteners, the meat industry, or in the end the consumer? Are the increases in cost so much that pig keeping in Germany will no longer be competitive? Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski gives an assessment of the situation.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22455, Email

Is there market acceptance? And are there differences in this regard in Baden-Württemberg?

Problems and fears are obstacles to a broad market introduction of the various procedures. What are the obstacles? What reservations do farmers, stores, and consumers have, and how can we confront these? What is the situation like in Baden-Württemberg? Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski gives information about the current market situation.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Volker Stefanski, Department of Behavioral Physiology of Farm Animals, +49 711 459 22455, Email