# castration/ boar ??



## LynninTX (Jun 23, 2004)

This is how my life works sometimes. Terribly embarrassed to admit this, but here goes.

Bought pigs in June. It was a bit of a rush because we had been trying and they kept being sold out faster than we could get there... dh drove 2+hrs one way to get them. Dh somehow missed the fact that I needed the male cut. 

So a friend offered to come over and do it, but never did. 

Here we are now in Sept... about 5mos old... intact... 

#1 So can we castrate now? Wilbur is LARGE. (yes Wilbur).... 

#2 If so how do you do it at this size/age?

#3 We do not want to process him ourselves (we do want to learn, but not this one, this time)... will a processor take an intact male?

Thanks!


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## FL.Boy (Dec 17, 2007)

My processor will not take intact males or hogs over 500 lbs. I have never cut them older than 2 months old but my neighbor has and it don't sound easy. He said they just tie and hold them down and cut away and he has done that with 500 lbs pigs :shrug: Maybe get him drunk.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

Some processors will take them. I assume you are wanting him castrated to avoid possible boar taint, right? Well, at that age, you would need to wait a couple months after castrating before processing for all the hormones to leave his system. I think at this point, unless you want to keep him for another couple months, I would just have him processed and hope for the best. The butcher will be able to tell you if the meat seems tainted. If it does, just have it all cut into cubes and use if for dog food.
One other thought, unless the animal will be sedated while you castrate him, cutting him at this size would be inhumane. We intend to eventually have our VERY large boar castrated so that we can slaughter him for sausage and pepperoni, as he will have become too large to be useful as a breeding animal. We plan to have our vet sedate him and then castrate him, any other way would be cruel to the hog and dangerous for us!


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## LynninTX (Jun 23, 2004)

Well the biggest issue is if the processor will not take him... that leaves it to us and leaves out any bacon or cured products... correct?


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## BDB (Feb 26, 2005)

cure the bacon and hams yourself I have been doin mine for years not that hard


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

All three of the USDA inspected processors (slaughterhouse butcher shops) I've worked with will take both intact males and our large boars and sows (often 800 lbs) when their time comes. They do cattle so the size really isn't an issue. They scale the smaller pigs but the very big ones they skin.

I have heard some people say that the processors told them that it was illegal or against regulations for them to slaughter boars in USDA plants. That's BS. Ask them to prove it and call the USDA area office to report them.


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## RedHogs (Jul 7, 2006)

> I have heard some people say that the processors told them that it was illegal or against regulations for them to slaughter boars in USDA plants. That's BS. Ask them to prove it and call the USDA area office to report them.


That's not entirely wrong or right, some areas require blood to be pulled from all hogs processed (_while alive_), most houses do not have the equipment to handle this or to do it safely or humanely with large boars......So if they are not set up for this they can't slaughter the large boars legally....it's not required to take boars or be set up to draw blood on the real big ones.....

In addition, some customers would freak out if they saw a boar in the kill pen, whether wrong or right.... some people will fear contaimination of the good pork with the tainted pork......not allowing boars might be good PR for the processor.....


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## LynninTX (Jun 23, 2004)

thanks all... will have dh ask the processor I think I found....


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

RedHogs said:


> some areas require blood to be pulled from all hogs processed (_while alive_)


In Vermont they draw the blood during the bleed out on every pig. The pig is technically still alive but it is stunned and unconscious at that point - there is no unusual risk for the operator. The inspector told me this while I was watching them do it. He said they test to maintain the state's pseudorabies-free and brucellocis-free status.

There is no regulation against the slaughter of intact boars. They're setup to handle full size cattle so that is not the issue.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

I just had a 1yo 500lb boar butchered. He tastes delicious. No boar taint whatsoever.

I butchered him because he didn't get the deed done. I think he was gay.

Pete


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

RedneckPete said:


> I just had a 1yo 500lb boar butchered. He tastes delicious. No boar taint whatsoever.
> 
> I butchered him because he didn't get the deed done. I think he was gay.
> 
> Pete


Well there just went my clean monitor. LOL pete


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## Faith Farm (Dec 13, 2004)

I cut boars a day old or under two weeks for a single person job but over that,
the little buggers are hard to catch and MAMA is still mean. I cut them as 
much as 60 lbs with a few helpers, no fun, not recommened.
We also processed a full grown 6 year old @ 500 lb hanging weight.
The Chorizo and Hot Italian sausage has sold out faster than Hein's Beans 
@ a 3 for one coupon sale @ FOODLION. If you seperate him from the ladies
for a month or so he'll be fine but if the processor say's no, maybe look for 
an old timer or farmer who has butchered a hog or two in the yard. There may
also be a few sausage makers around the coffee shop who may be interested.
Good pigen.

:1pig:


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## erikandelman (Nov 18, 2008)

Re the boar taint, we see a lot of different opinions because it can vary so much from boar to boar, and the small farmer has no reliable way to predict it's presence prior to slaughter.
Having just got terrible boar taint on my first boar butchered, I can only say it's not at all worth taking your chances. I can't afford to raise a 200 lb pig for my dogs to eat, nor can I afford to keep meat in my freezer for my dogs.
I've got another boar coming up (he's already much too big to wrestle), so I looked into alternatives. There are two chemical (injectable) methods which effectively castrate the pig. Improvac is by pfizer but not available in the USA. Leuprolide had very compelling results in a study published in jornal of animal sciences (http://jas.fass.org/cgi/content/abs...ar&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT) but for some reason has not caught on, and I don't know where a small-timer like me would even buy the stuff, and I don't know about the safety/persistence of the stuff.
So it looks like I will do the gory deed myself with my knife and some rigging.
Good luck all, and cut them young next time.
Erik


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## stockdogtta (Apr 12, 2008)

I imagine Wilbur is in the 200 lb range and I've been in on cutting boars this size. I wouldnt hesitate a bit of cutting him. Takes 2 or 3 experienced people of holding down boars and another one that is fast with a knife. Have a clean pen for him with good clean bedding.Only,cut him when the sign is in the feet, and pour some stockdip(disinfectant) on the surgery when done...1st day he will lay around a bit but in 2 or 3 he will up and about as before.


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## Paul O (Sep 13, 2004)

Iâve heard about that injection. I donât know where it stands with the USDA or the organic folks. I tend to follow the organic approach where I can afford it but I can see some compelling reasons to do the castration chemically if possible; humanity for one. I think most farmers agree that castration is the worst thing they have to deal with, both for them and the animal.

Paul


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