The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: cowpat on November 03, 2013, 08:46:52 pm
-
hello all.
I have seven osb weaners. 4 gilts and 3 boars.at what age should I look at finishing the boars so as not to get boar taint?.any advice gratefully received.
cheers.
-
I have kept boys until 28 weeks with no taint. I understand that a lot of people keep them longer and still don't get any.
-
I've kept them to the same age without any problems. However, you might want to separate the sexes if keeping beyond five/six months.
-
We've kept boars until 8 months or so and never had a problem.
-
I know this has been covered before with good advice and some even saying that "taint" can not be tasted by all.
When we home killed a boar (plus 28 weeks) the chap who does all the home kills in our area first stunned the animal then quickly castrated the boar before it was bled out. The theory being that it is the testicles and sudden release of hormones released at death that produce the taint. The meat from that culn noir boar did not taste of taint to us.
However I am unsure if your abbatoir will stun then castrate the animal before it dies.
-
we usually kill at 6 months and never had an issue. I've heard its more likely if you have mixed sexes- I guess the juices get flowing a bit more !?
-
I agree separation is necessary but we keep OSB and have kept to 8 months and they tasted fantastic!
-
There are LOADS of previous posts/threads about boar taint on here.
We've had boars until 7 months old and no issue with taint. However we have never had both sexes on our land at the same time so can't comment on that scenario.
-
My comment about separating the sexes was to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. I wasn't suggesting that there was more risk of boar taint with a mixed group.
Mine are nearly always in mixed groups, but I do tend to separate at five months.
As I said, I've not had a problem with traditional breeds. The only time I experienced it was with a group of Pietrain x Landrace pigs which I kept to about six or seven months.
-
Thanks for all the replys :).while on the subject at what age would the pigs reach sexual maturity?.
-
Pigs are capable of reproducing at 6 months. If you're concerned about unwanted matings separate them at 5 months.
-
My last lot of boys were trying it out on each other at 6 months. It's then that you know that it's time for them to go!
-
I just dropped off my two 27 week old Berkshire boars at the abattoir this morning ... and the guy said "oh no, are they boars?" ... to which I replied "yeah, it won't make any difference" ... "oh yes it will" he said.
::)
We shall see ... :)
-
Following an earlier comment I made about increased risk of boar taint with mixed sex rearing have found the article Raising intact male pigs for meat: Detecting and preventing
boar taint, ( it is Anerican so maybe their boars are different :-J )
struggled to copy the link but the paragraph in question (from a very technical article is below
Management
The presence of sexually receptive females stimulates a rapid rise in
plasma androstenone and testosterone concentrations in boars.
Boars mixed with gilts during rearing may have elevated concentrations
of fat androstenone. At 80 kg (176 lb) of live weight, androstenone
content in backfat is not affected by the social conditions during
rearing. Between 80 and 95 kg (176 and 209 lb), the proportion of
boars with an increase in androstenone content is greater in boars
reared with females. Mixed-sex rearing in some instances also increases
the intensity of odor in boar fat. Therefore, split-sex rearing
should be practiced if pigs are intended for slaughter at heavier market
weight.
-
Foobar your abattoir guy is talking rubbish. I've killed non working boars at 10 months plus and no problems.
-
Yes, I thought so too, so took his comments with a pinch of salt :).
-
I can taste that 'piggy' taint in some pork from the supermarket. Just in case it is a boar thing I will only have gilt weaners and they have all been ok so far.
I think if you can taste it then whatever cause of the taint you will notice it, my hubby can't taste it so if we get a dodgy 'shop chop' he gets my meat as well.
Is it possible that some people just have a more acute sense of taste? I can always taste goat milk and cheese too. even when I don't know it is goat dairy at the time it goes in my mouth.
-
We keep OSB's to 7 months. We usually have a mix, and raise them together until 5months. Theres no difference in the meat it all tastes lovely....
-
My 2 middle white boars went at 33 weeks and there is no sign of any boar taint, in fact the meat is delicious.
I only had boars and never saw them trying to bonk each other either. An old pig keepers trick used to be to feed them lots of sugar in the last few days but I think that's a bit of an old wives tale. ;D
-
Is it possible that some people just have a more acute sense of taste? I can always taste goat milk and cheese too. even when I don't know it is goat dairy at the time it goes in my mouth.
Quote from our book "Perfect Pigs" on boar taint
"Boar Taint is an unpleasant smell that can be released during cooking pork from adult boars. Research has shown that 1 in 2 women but only 1 in 7 men can detect this. The occurrence of boar taint is higher in hybrids used commercially than in purebreds, and research shows that housing conditions and diet both affect taint. In commercial herds the rate can be about 1 in 12.
For those of us breeding the traditional breeds, boar taint is highly unlikely to be a problem - we usually fatten outdoors where pigs get a varied diet from soil and vegetation, they are from non-hybrid pigs, and we take them off before sexual maturity. Therefore the risk of boar taint is extremely low.
However as this subject is regularly raised with us when people are selecting weaners, it is covered here.
Boar Taint is mainly caused by androstenone, a steroid produced by the males that are sexually active, and by skatole, a by-product of bacterial activity in the gut. As male pigs reach sexual maturity the amount of androstenone increases, and sexual steroids produced by the male also inhibit breakdown of Skatole. Both can then be deposited in the fat of the pig, and it is possible for this to cause boar taint.
The meat of sexually mature boars is more at risk, but as most male pigs are taken off to pork or bacon before the pig reaches full sexual maturity, it is highly unlikely to be a problem. Fully mature (retired) boars are culled and their meat generally goes abroad to be made into Belgium Pate or Italian Salami, as there is a much higher risk of taint in those types of boar.
No research on smallholding pigs has been done to our knowledge, but at Oaklands Pigs we generally fatten male pigs (entire boars will grow about 20% faster than gilts) and in many years of selling weaners (400-500 weaners a year) we know of no-one directly who has come across this problem. Indeed we have on several occasions used 10-12 month old boars to get first time gilts pregnant and then taken the boar off for meat without any issues, as a boar used once or twice is not what we class as sexually active.
So personally given a choice we would take boars for fattening, and many families want boars, as they would be too tempted to keep a gilt for maybe breeding later on, but know boars will have to go ! !"
-
some very interesting replys.thankyou all very much.ill be sending the boars off at 6 months so by the sound of it they will be fine :thumbsup:
-
That article excerpt is great - we have kept boar weaners ay past 28 weeks, with no problems - it causes more problem in mixed herds or having girls close y. Once they realise they have testosterone and know what to do with it, that's when it starts causing the taint.
I think that is has become more of an issue in theory than in practice, if you know what I mean.
PS - abbatoir talking rubbish! - sorry
Rhiannon
x