title: Bilateral removal of the cauda epididymides in the neonatal pig as a technique for creating teaser boars.
abstract: Five pairs of crossbred littermate boars were used to assess the efficacy of bilateral removal of the cauda epididymides at an early age as a technique for creating teaser boars. The cauda epididymides were surgically removed in one of each litter pair; the other of the pair served as an intact control. Boars subjected to removal of the epididymides (Epid) were rendered sterile by the technique. The Epid-treated and control untreated littermate boars had similar levels of sexual aggression and libido, as measured by behavioral characteristics at semen collection. The Epid-treated boars showed a slight, but not significant, reduction in ejaculate volume. Upon slaughter at 273 d of age, Epid and control boars had similar weights for the accessory sexual organs and penis and similar penile lengths. The Epid-treated boars displayed enlarged caput epididymides and granulomata. It is suggested that bilateral removal of the cauda epididymides in the neonatal pig may prove a worthwhile alternative to the traditional vasectomy procedure to create teaser boars.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Anim. Sci., University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arkins
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Hosmon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000601:surgery*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000662:veterinary*; D013552:Swine / Q000601:surgery*