The league of sweet-smelling gentlemen!
db.7711 is an especially low-odour boar from our successful db.77® sire line. Male offspring of db.7711 can be finished without castration and with only a minimum risk of boar taint.
Why do we castrate piglets anyway?
One risk associated with boar finishing is boar taint, which is an unpleasant odour that sometimes occurs when cooking pork from male pigs. Consumers have varying degrees of sensitivity to boar taint, with some of them perceiving it as extremely offensive. The main causes of boar taint are the fat-soluble substance skatole and the sexual pheromone androstenone, which are released when the meat is heated. The levels of these substances are significantly reduced by castration. The androstenone and skatole content varies greatly between races and families. BHZP has exploited this fact to select boars with a reduced risk of boar taint.
What makes db.7711 special?
First db.77® boars are tested to the proven scheme and rigorously selected. 15 to 20 male siblings from each boar are culled. The culled boars are tested for boar taint and back fat samples are taken from the neck of each carcass to test the androstenone and skatole levels at the laboratory. This information together with parentage data is used to obtain a BLUP breeding-value estimation for boar taint for each boar. Only the top 20% of boars receive the db.7711 label as an uncompromising endorsement of meat quality.
Support animal welfare and reap the benefits of boar finishing at the same time!
- High piglet welfare standards
- Less work
- Reduced health risk
- Better performance and carcass traits from finishing uncastrated males