Oliviero Claudio, Ollila Anna, Andersson Magnus, Heinonen Mari, Voutila Liisa, Serenius Timo, Peltoniemi Olli
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Saarentaus, Finland.
Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Saarentaus, Finland.
Theriogenology. 2016 Feb;85(3):476-82. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.09.027. Epub 2015 Sep 21.
Boar stations raise only entire male pigs for selection as reproductive boars, but the majority of them will fail the selection process, ending at slaughter with a high risk of boar tainted meat. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a single dose of Improvac given to 16-week old boars had a negative effect on their subsequent sperm numbers and motility in 16 artificial insemination boars. We also aimed to generate more knowledge on incidence of boar taint at slaughter among Finnish pigs, compare production performances as average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, and carcass and meat quality (lean meat percentage, back fat, pH, color, androstenone, and skatole) of immunocastrated boars (n = 248) with those of entire boars (n = 268). Moreover, we aimed also to explore whether a fat biopsy taken at 16 weeks of age could already reveal the presence of boar taint compounds and be predictive of boar taint development at slaughter age. We found that 32% of entire boars (Figen Landrace, Figen Large White, and their crossbreed) slaughtered at an age of 25 weeks presented levels of androstenone and/or skatole above the threshold for boar taint in their meat. These boars (control) had higher androstenone and skatole levels in the back fat samples at slaughter (0.77 ± 0.55 and 0.09 ± 0.06 μg/g, respectively, mean ± standard deviation) than those in the immuno group (0.20 ± 0.25 and 0.06 ± 0.03 μg/g, respectively, P < 0.001). A single dose of anti-GnRH vaccine, given at 16 weeks of age, did not affect future sperm numbers and motility of boars selected for artificial insemination. We found no difference in the levels of testosterone, anti-GnRH antibodies titers, testicle morphology, and sperm numbers and motility between the boars vaccinated once, at 16 weeks of age, with anti-GnRH vaccine and the control boars (no vaccination). There were no differences in average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, lean meat percentage, and back fat between the immunocastrated boars and entire boars. Meat from immunocastrated boars had a higher pH and better color than meat from entire boars (P < 0.001), suggesting slightly improved meat quality.
种猪场只饲养完整的雄性猪以挑选出生殖种公猪，但其中大多数会在挑选过程中被淘汰，最终被屠宰，其猪肉出现公猪异味的风险很高。本研究的目的是调查给16周龄的公猪单剂量注射Improvac是否会对16头用于人工授精的公猪随后的精子数量和活力产生负面影响。我们还旨在获取更多关于芬兰猪屠宰时公猪异味发生率的知识，比较免疫去势公猪（n = 248）和完整公猪（n = 268）的生产性能，如平均日增重、饲料转化率以及胴体和肉质（瘦肉率、背膘厚、pH值、颜色、雄烯酮和粪臭素）。此外，我们还旨在探究16周龄时进行的脂肪活检是否已经能够揭示公猪异味化合物的存在，并预测屠宰年龄时公猪异味的发展情况。我们发现，25周龄屠宰的完整公猪（芬兰长白猪、芬兰大白猪及其杂交品种）中，有32%的公猪其肉中的雄烯酮和/或粪臭素水平高于公猪异味阈值。这些公猪（对照组）屠宰时背膘样本中的雄烯酮和粪臭素水平（分别为0.77±0.55和0.09±0.06μg/g，均值±标准差）高于免疫组（分别为0.20±0.25和0.06±0.03μg/g，P < 0.001）。16周龄时单剂量注射抗促性腺激素释放激素疫苗，不会影响被选作人工授精的公猪未来的精子数量和活力。我们发现，16周龄时单次注射抗促性腺激素释放激素疫苗的公猪与对照公猪（未接种疫苗）在睾酮水平、抗促性腺激素释放激素抗体滴度、睾丸形态以及精子数量和活力方面没有差异。免疫去势公猪和完整公猪在平均日增重、饲料转化率、瘦肉率和背膘厚方面没有差异。免疫去势公猪的肉比完整公猪的肉具有更高的pH值和更好的颜色（P < 0.001），表明肉质略有改善。
