Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:00:01.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Early vaccination with Improvac®: effects on performance and behaviour of male pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2011

K. Andersson ,
C. Brunius ,
G. Zamaratskaia  and
K. Lundström
K. Andersson*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7024, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
C. Brunius
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7051, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
G. Zamaratskaia
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7051, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
K. Lundström
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7051, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
*
†E-mail: kristina.andersson@slu.se
Get access

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of giving a two-dose regimen of gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine, Improvac® (Pfizer Ltd), earlier than currently recommended, on performance and behaviour of growing/finishing pigs. Cross-bred male pigs (n = 192) were randomly allocated, within a litter, into four groups at birth: one group of pigs surgically castrated without anaesthesia before one week of age, a second group of early vaccinated pigs given Improvac at 10 and 14 weeks of age, a third group of standard vaccinated pigs given Improvac at 16 and 20 weeks of age, so that the second vaccination was given 4 to 6 weeks before slaughter as recommended by the manufacturer, and a fourth group of entire male pigs. The experiment started when the pigs were 12 weeks old and lasted until 25 weeks of age, when the pigs were slaughtered. The pigs were fed restrictedly. Daily weight gain and feed conversion during the entire raising period did not differ significantly between groups. Estimated lean meat content of early vaccinated and surgically castrated pigs was lower when compared with entire male pigs, whereas standard vaccinated pigs did not differ from entire males. Dressing percentage was higher in early vaccinated and surgically castrated pigs than in standard vaccinated and entire male pigs, partly because of lower size and weight of reproductive organs. For both groups of vaccinated pigs, both problematic and non-problematic behaviours decreased after their second injection, from the levels of entire males to those of surgically castrated pigs. After the second injection, pigs of both vaccination groups performed no mountings, in contrast with entire male pigs of the same age. Skin lesions at slaughter were fewer and less severe for vaccinated pigs compared with entire male pigs. No difference in income per carcass was observed for surgically castrated or vaccinated pigs. However, for entire male pigs the income was lower, as the payment system in Sweden also takes into consideration the additional cost for boar taint analyses and reduced payment for tainted carcasses. Under our experimental conditions, early vaccination with Improvac can be used as an alternative to the recommended schedule to minimise problematic behaviour with unaffected profitability.

Keywords

male pigsearly vaccination against GnRHperformancebehaviour
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , January 2012 , pp. 87 - 95
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andersson, A, Hansson, I, Lundström, K, Karlsson, A 1995. Influence of sex and breed on the precision of the official Swedish pig carcass grading. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 51–59.Google Scholar
Andersson, K, Schaub, A, Andersson, K, Lundström, K, Thomke, S, Hansson, I 1997. The effects of feeding system, lysine level and gilt contact on performance, skatole levels and economy of entire male pigs. Livestock Production Science 51, 131–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, J, Laister, S, Koller, M, Pfützner, A, Grodzycki, M, Andrews, S, Schmoll, F 2010. The behaviour of male fattening pigs following either surgical castration or vaccination with GnRF vaccine. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 124, 28–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, M, Signoret, JP 1984. Sex play and behavioural sexualisation in the pig. Reproduction Nutrition Development 24, 507–513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonavera, JJ, Dube, MG, Kalra, PS, Kalra, SP 1994. Anorectic effects of oestrogen may be mediated by decreased neuropeptide-Y release in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. Endocrinology 134, 2367–2370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cronin, GM, Dunshea, FR, Butler, KL, McCauly, I, Barnett, JL, Hensworth, PH 2003. The effects of immune- and surgical castration on the behaviour and consequently growth of group-housed, male finisher pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81, 111–126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunshea, FR, Colantoni, C, Howard, K, McCauley, I, Jackson, P, Long, KA, Lopaticki, S, Nugent, EA, Simons, JA, Walker, J, Hennessy, DP 2001. Vaccination of boars with a GnRH vaccine (Improvac) eliminates boar taint and increases growth performance. Journal of Animal Science 79, 2524–2535.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Einarsson, S 2006. Vaccination against GnRH: pros and cons. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 48 (suppl. 1), S10, 4pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Einarsson, S, Andersson, K, Wallgren, M, Lundström, K, Rodriguez-Martinez, H 2009. Short- and long-term effects of immunization against gonadotropin-releasing hormone, using Improvac™, on sexual maturity, reproductive organs and sperm morphology in male pigs. Theriogenology 71, 302–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Einarsson, S, Brunius, C, Wallgren, M, Lundström, K, Andersson, K, Zamaratskaia, G, Rodriguez-Martinez, H 2011. Effects of early vaccination with Improvac® on the development and function of reproductive organs of male pigs. Animal Reproduction Science (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fàbrega, E, Velarde, A, Cros, J, Gispert, M, Suárez, P, Tibau, J, Soler, J 2010. Effect of vaccination against gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, using Improvac®, on growth performance, body composition, behaviour and acute phase proteins. Livestock Science 132, 53–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fredriksen, B, Font i Furnols, M, Lundström, K, Migdal, W, Prunier, A, Tuyttens, FAM, Bonneau, M 2009. Practice on castration of piglets in Europé. Animal 3, 1480–1487.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaros, P, Bürgi, E, Stärk, KDC, Claus, R, Hennesey, D, Thun, R 2005. Effect of active immunization against GnRH on androstenone concentration, growth performance and carcass quality in intact male pigs. Livestock Production Science 92, 31–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackinnon, JD, Pearce, MC 2007. Improvac™ (Pfizer Animal Health): an immunological product for the control of boar taint in male pigs. The Pig Journal 59, 29–67.Google Scholar
Moya, SL, Boyle, LA, Lynch, PB, Arkins, S 2008. Surgical castration of pigs affects the behavioural response to a low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge after weaning. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 112, 40–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pauly, C, Spring, P, O'Doherty, JV, Ampuero Kragten, S, Bee, G 2009. Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of group-penned surgically castrated, immunocastrated (Improvac®) and entire male pigs and individually penned entire male pigs. Animal 3, 1057–1066.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prunier, A, Bonneau, M, von Borell, EH, Cinotti, S, Gunn, M, Fredriksen, B, Giersing, M, Morton, DB, Tuyttens, FAM, Velarde, A 2006. A review of the welfare consequences of surgical castration in piglets and the evaluation of non-surgical methods. Animal Welfare 15, 277–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rydhmer, L, Lundström, K, Andersson, K 2010. Immunocastration reduces aggressive and sexual behaviour in male pigs. Animal 4, 965–972.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rydhmer, L, Zamaratskaia, G, Andersson, HK, Algers, B, Guillemet, R, Lundström, K 2006. Aggressive and sexual behaviour of pigs raised without castration. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 56, 109–119.Google Scholar
Schwarzenberger, F, Toole, GS, Christie, HL, Raeside, JI 1993. Plasma levels of several androgens and estrogens from birth to puberty in male domestic pigs. Acta Endocrinologica 128, 173–179.Google ScholarPubMed
Turkstra, JA, Zeng, XY, van Diepen, JTHM, Jongbloed, AW, Oonk, HB, van de Wiel, DFM, Meloen, RH 2002. Performance of male pigs immunized against GnRH is related to the time of onset of biological response. Journal of Animal Science 80, 2953–2959.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Velarde, A, Gispert, M, Oliver, MA, Soler, J, Tibau, J, Fàbrega, E 2007. The effect of immunocastration on the behaviour of pigs. In Proceedings of the 41st International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology, 8–12 August 2007, p. 117. Merida, Mexico.Google Scholar
von Borell, E, Baumgartner, J, Giersing, M, Jäggin, N, Prunier, A, Tuyttens, FAM, Edwards, SA 2009. Animal welfare implications of surgical castration and its alternatives in pigs. Animal 3, 1488–1496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zamaratskaia, G, Andersson, HK, Chen, G, Andersson, K, Madej, A, Lundström, K 2008a. Effect of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine (Improvac™) on steroid hormones, boar taint compounds and performance in entire male pigs. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 43, 351–359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zamaratskaia, G, Rydhmer, L, Andersson, HK, Chen, G, Lowagie, S, Andersson, K, Lundström, K 2008b. Long-term effect of vaccination against gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine, using Improvac™, on hormonal profile and behavior of male pigs. Animal Reproduction Science 108, 37–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed