Barrows made more profit than
boars for Danish hog farmers, according to a study by researchers at Aarhus
University.
The difference was that 21 per
cent of the boars had to be culled because of boar taint.
The barrows turned a profit of
$55 each, or $183 per pen space, but the boars only turned a profit of $28 and
$94 per pen space.
The hogs were raised under
organic protocols to 86 kilograms (190 pounds).
The results have been published
in a report by the Danish Center for Food and Agriculture.
There is pressure on hog farmers to stop surgical castration. There are chemical alternatives, but so far they have not been popular with North American farmers.
Boars can be more profitable than barrows if the taint issue can be overcome. That's because there is no temporary set-back from surgery and because male hormones improve the efficiency of converting feed to lean meat.
