Group composition for fattening entire male pigs under enriched housing conditions—Influences on behaviour, injuries and boar taint compounds

摘要: In organic farming, the production of pork from entire male pigs seems to be mostpromising alternative castration, as animal husbandry aims at high standards ofanimal welfare and elimination mutilations. However, previous research on behaviourof was mostly carried out under barren housing conditions is thus notentirely transferrable enriched conditions. present study, we investigatedsingle-sex mixed-sex groups compared them with mixed-sexgroups castrated On a commercial farm, 362pigs (average weight 22.7 kg, average age 80 days) were assigned pens 20(+1) according three treatments: single-sex males (EE), females (EF) malesand (CF). Skin tail lesions, lameness behaviours ‘head knocking/biting’,‘fighting’ ‘mounting’ assessed five days during fattening period. Averagecarcass for all sexes 92 kg. After slaughter, female reproductive organs wereinspected signs pregnancy. Fat samples analysed concen-trations androstenone skatole. Entire showed more aggressive mountingbehaviours than (p < 0.001), no difference found between entiremales EE EF treatments. Welfare not impaired when pennedtogether penned together castrates, neither interms skin lesions nor in terms received behaviour. Pigs treatment had higher lesion scores those CF treatments 0.05 p 0.01,respectively), while two latter did differ. inspected repro-ductive organs, pregnancy could detected. The concentration fatindicated that presence or absence group have an effect themale pigs. Of 177 slaughtered pigs, only one carcass classified containing boar taint by human nose test. Our findings suggest housingconditions, can kept single–sex well groupswith without compromise welfare.