[Tudful Tamworths]

Here it is: http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2006/03/28/boar-meat/
 
Very interesting. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm forever having boar taint discussions with new pig keepers. No bad experiences myself, but it takes a lot to convince some people.

[kja]

Here it is: http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2006/03/28/boar-meat/
 
Very interesting. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm forever having boar taint discussions with new pig keepers. No bad experiences myself, but it takes a lot to convince some people.

the sugar mountain website contains lots of interesting topics.

i agree with boar taint not being a problem in pork / bacon weight pigs but by the time a pig gets to 17 months as gaap's has then there could be taint there.

we had this discussion at a pig show a few weeks ago some breeders have gon as far as saying they can sometimes detect boar when walking by some bacon & sausage stands at shows they said it smells just like their working boars when arroused and we all know what that smells like.

i have also had a customer that refuses boar meat after buying a whole pig from a farm that tasted off and in his words made the house smell like a farmyard during the cooking process.

in all my years rearing for meat 90% of the pigs i raised were boars due to the faster growth rates & leaner meat but they were all out the door by 7 -8  months.

[Padge]

We had 2 Saddleback boars ....Dennis and Gordon at the time......we kept until 7 months and had no issues /problems or signs of boar taint.......tho OH won't keep boars again as didn't like or enjoy keeping them

[cleopatra]

there is a weight limit for the hog roasts, you have to see what is recommended for the type you are planning to use. often the pigs are a bit smaller for th egas-fired ones, say 40kg deadweight or a chubby 5 mth old. a bit of fat is useful to keep it moist whilst cooking. 20 mm would be perfect in my opinion.

[Tudful Tamworths]

Personally, I don't keep boars for more than eight months if intended for meat - just to be on the safe side. However, having said that, all the research says that not all boars carry taint. There's some work being done with selective breeding to breed out those lines which are more susceptible.

[sc12011]

Ive just had my 8 month OSB boars back and the meat is lovely (didnt intent to leave them that long)

[sokel]

We have just tried. The first. Of the pork from an 8month old entire GOS boar and there is no difference in the meat from his sister that went at 7 months

[Marches Farmer]

We never send in rare breed boars older than 22 weeks and give water but no feed for 12 hours before slaughter.  We also separate them from the gilts at weaning.

[MAK]

Here in France ( and that is important) we planned an home kill for our 2 Col Noir last March. They were 9 months old and the boar was well developed. Boar taint was discussed with the chap who slaughters for our community. My French may not have been up to discuss the plan but this very efficient chap dispathched the pigs with lightening speed ( no animal stress).
BUT - to reduce the chance of boar taint he stunned the animal - castrated it within seconds before the pig was bled out. We had no boar taint but who knows if there would have been a difference if he had not castrated the stunned pig.

[Mrs Snoodles]

Isn't the continental smoked sausage process used for overriding boar taint in meat?   

[oaklandspigs]

Here in France ( and that is important) we planned an home kill for our 2 Col Noir last March. They were 9 months old and the boar was well developed. Boar taint was discussed with the chap who slaughters for our community. My French may not have been up to discuss the plan but this very efficient chap dispathched the pigs with lightening speed ( no animal stress).
BUT - to reduce the chance of boar taint he stunned the animal - castrated it within seconds before the pig was bled out. We had no boar taint but who knows if there would have been a difference if he had not castrated the stunned pig.

Interesting, although suspect not - boar taint is caused by a build up of androstenone, a steroid produced by the males that are sexually active, and by skatole, a byproduct 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.
 
So it is a build up rather than stress or presence of testicles at death.
 
 
 
 

[MAK]

Not sure about that as there is not too much smoked sausage in France unless you go for the sauerkraut, sausage,belly of pork strip and boiled spuds that is sold on the deli counters or as shrink wrapped dinners ( Alsace food I think).
A previous thread a few months back mentioned that most UK supermarket meat includes that from uncastrated young boars.
 In France supermarket pork is very cheap and quite good compared to the UK. pigs liver is sold in massive chunks and is very cheap.Maybe pork is cheap becau it has to complete with Veal,Beef, lamb, duck, turkey, rabbit, quail and guinea fowl. Lamb is not a best seller but every supermarket sells the above in large quantaties and pork is often on offer.

[deepinthewoods]

on telly a few weeks back, i think it was dara obrian's show science club or something... anyhoo he took out a vial of boar scent and waved it around the audience, the handful of people who could smell it could Really smell it! he said it was around 1 in 20 and it totally depends on the individuals sense of smell,  i think he said it was a genetic trait, like being able to roll your tongue.

[MAK]

Oakland pigs - just read the possible explanation for boar taint and it sounds more plausable that a sudden surge of sex hormones being released from the testicles at point of death that subsequently taints the meat.
Interesting that previous threads ( a few months back) have mentioned that some people can not taste boar taint when others, eating the same meat, can. It would be interesting to know if there is a gender significance here and if men are less likeley to identify what the ladies tell us is boar taint    

[oaklandspigs]

Interesting that previous threads ( a few months back) have mentioned that some people can not taste boar taint when others, eating the same meat, can. It would be interesting to know if there is a gender significance here and if men are less likeley to identify what the ladies tell us is boar taint

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.